Flight diverted to another airport: what you can claim
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Quick answer
When your flight lands at a different airport from the one on your ticket, the airline must, at its own cost, transport you to the original destination airport (or another nearby place you agree to). The delay is measured when you reach that original airport: 3 hours or more late means compensation, unless the diversion was caused by extraordinary circumstances. A diversion is not a cancellation and does not by itself trigger the cancellation rules.
How much compensation could I receive for a delayed flight?
€250–€600 per passenger, by distance, when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled time on a flight covered by Regulation 261 — unless the airline proves an extraordinary circumstance. Below 3 hours: care, not compensation.
Does this apply to your flight?
Was your flight delayed?
A few short questions — no flight number needed yet. You get a preliminary result on the facts you give; the full check confirms it from the itinerary.
Already known from this page
- Delayed
How late did you arrive at your final destination?
Count the delay when the doors opened at your final destination, not the departure delay.
| Distance | EU / CH (Reg. 261/2004) | UK261 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 | £220 |
| 1,500 – 3,500 km | €400 | £350 |
| Over 3,500 km, both airports in EU/EEA | €400 | — |
| Over 3,500 km | €600 | £520 |
What the Court decided
In WZ v Austrian Airlines (C-826/19) the Court of Justice answered the questions a diversion raises. A flight diverted to a nearby airport serving the same town or region is not cancelled, so the cancellation regime does not apply. But the airline must offer, on its own initiative and at its own cost, to transport you to the airport on your booking or to another nearby destination agreed with you. And the arrival delay that decides compensation is measured on arrival at that original airport (or the agreed alternative), not on touchdown at the diversion airport.
What this means for your claim
- Landed at Frankfurt-Hahn instead of Frankfurt Main and left to find a bus? Claim the transfer cost.
- Reached the original airport 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival? Compensation is due unless the cause of the diversion was extraordinary.
- Diverted for weather at the destination? Weather can be extraordinary, but the airline must prove it and still owes the transfer and care.
Diversions that are cancellations
If the flight ends at an airport that does not serve the same city or region, or the airline simply terminates the flight there, the cancellation rules apply: refund or re-routing, care, and compensation unless extraordinary circumstances are proven.
Care during a diversion
Meals, communication and, if you are stranded overnight, a hotel are due from the moment the delay thresholds are met — diversion or not.
What to keep
The new arrival airport and time, how you got to your destination and what it cost, and the airline’s explanation of the diversion.
Questions answered
What if my flight was diverted to another airport?
A diversion to an airport serving the same town or region is not a cancellation. The airline must, at its own cost and on its own initiative, transport you to the airport on your booking or to another nearby destination you agree to. Compensation depends on when you reach that original airport: 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival, the fixed amount is due unless the airline proves an extraordinary circumstance.
- Conditions
- The diverted-to airport serves the same city or region
- Delay measured at the original destination airport, transfer included
- Exceptions
- A flight terminated at an airport that does not serve the same region is a cancellation: refund or re-routing, care, and compensation unless extraordinary
- Weather at the destination can be extraordinary, but the airline must prove it and still owes the transfer and care
- Example
Frankfurt-bound, landed at Frankfurt-Hahn, bus to Frankfurt Main arriving 3 h 15 after the scheduled time: the bus is on the airline, and €250 (up to 1,500 km) is due unless the diversion cause was extraordinary.
- Potential amount
- €250–€600 (£220–£520) per passenger by distance when the original airport is reached 3 hours or more late; the transfer cost in any case.
- Next step
- Check my diverted flight
- Official source
- Case C-826/19 WZ v Austrian Airlines — a diversion to a nearby airport is not a cancellation; the delay is measured on arrival at the original destination airport and the carrier bears the transfer cost
Who pays for the transfer after a diversion?
The airline. Under Article 8(3) of Regulation 261/2004, when a flight lands at an alternative airport serving the same town, city or region, the operating carrier bears the cost of transferring you to the airport on your booking or to another close-by destination agreed with you. If you had to arrange it yourself, claim the reasonable cost with the receipt.
- Conditions
- Keep the ticket or receipt for the bus, train or taxi
- Claim in writing from the operating airline
- Exceptions
- A transfer to a place other than the booked airport needs the airline's agreement to be reimbursed in full
- Potential amount
- The documented, reasonable cost of the transfer — separate from, and in addition to, any fixed compensation.
- Next step
- Care and assistance rights
- Official source
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights
Sources
- Court of Justice of the European UnionCase C-826/19 WZ v Austrian Airlines — a diversion to a nearby airport is not a cancellation; the delay is measured on arrival at the original destination airport and the carrier bears the transfer cost
- European CommissionInterpretative Guidelines on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (2016/C 214/04)
- European Parliament and CouncilRegulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights
Last legally reviewed: 12 September 2026 · Content updated: 12 September 2026
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