Geneva to Paris flight compensation
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Quick answer
Geneva to Paris is about 407 km, so compensation is €250 per passenger under Regulation 261/2004 as applied in Switzerland for delays of three hours or more, short-notice cancellations and denied boarding, on any airline. The airline can only refuse by proving extraordinary circumstances; the return direction has its own rules.
Great-circle distance
407 km
Geneva Airport (GVA) → Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
Compensation band: Up to 1,500 km
Fixed compensation
€250
€250 per passenger
Applicable rules: Swiss passenger rights (Reg. 261/2004 via the EU–CH agreement)
Example
A passenger arriving 3+ hours late at Paris on a covered flight could claim €250 per passenger.
If the flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure without a close alternative, the same €250 applies.
- Air Francecovered on this direction· EU/EEA licence· Médiation Tourisme et Voyage (MTV)
- easyJetcovered on this direction· UK licence· AviationADR
Departing from Geneva Airport
Geneva sits against the French border and its approaches use French airspace, so French ATC action affects it directly. Cancellation and denied-boarding rights on departure are certain; long-delay compensation is applied in practice but ultimately depends on how a Swiss court reads the EU case law.
Direction matters
- Geneva → Paris
- Swiss passenger rights (Reg. 261/2004 via the EU–CH agreement) · €250 · any airline
- Paris → Geneva
- EU Regulation 261/2004 · €250 · any airline
What changes on the return leg
| Applicable rules | Swiss passenger rights (Reg. 261/2004 via the EU–CH agreement) | EU Regulation 261/2004 |
|---|---|---|
| Enforcement body | Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA / BAZL) | Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC) |
| Dispute-resolution scheme | no country-wide scheme | Médiation Tourisme et Voyage (MTV) |
| Time limit for a court claim | 2 years | 5 years |
| Court | Civil court (simplified procedure) after the conciliation authority | Tribunal judiciaire — procédure simplifiée / European Small Claims Procedure |
The two directions are governed by different rules: the departure country decides which regime applies, and a flight from outside Europe is only covered when the operating airline is licensed in the EU/EEA, the UK or Switzerland.
Delay, cancellation or missed connection on this direction
- Delayed
- €250 per passenger is due when at least one door opens at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport three hours or more after the scheduled arrival; the departure delay at Geneva Airport does not count. From 2 hours of delay the airline owes meals and communication whatever the cause, and from 5 hours you may abandon the trip for a refund.
- Cancelled
- The same €250 per passenger is due when the airline told you less than 14 days before departure and did not re-route you within the legal windows (at most 2 hours early and under 4 hours late with 7–14 days’ notice; 1 hour and 2 hours under 7 days). A refund or re-routing, and care while you wait, are due in every case.
- Missed connection
- If Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is not your final destination and both flights were on one booking, the delay is measured where the journey ends and the amount on the distance from Geneva Airport to that final airport (Folkerts, C-11/11) — even when the onward flight is outside Europe. On separate tickets each flight stands alone, and a missed onward flight is not the first airline’s liability.
Escalation for this direction
Enforcement body: Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA / BAZL) (Switzerland)
Court claims: 2 years (Art. 14 of the Air Transport Ordinance (LTrV, SR 748.411), applied to Art. 7 compensation by the Basel-Stadt Appeals Court (BEZ.2016.3, 29 June 2016)). Court claims are brought before the Civil court (simplified procedure) after the conciliation authority.
Direct answer
- Short answer
- Yes — a flight from Geneva to Paris delayed 3+ hours, cancelled at short notice or overbooked can be worth €250 per passenger, on any airline.
- Amount
- €250€250 per passenger · 407 km
- Why
- The distance is 407 km (Up to 1,500 km) and the flight falls under Swiss passenger rights (Reg. 261/2004 via the EU–CH agreement); the fixed amount depends only on the distance band.
- What can change it
- The airline proves extraordinary circumstances (weather, ATC, security) that it could not avoid.
- Arrival delay under 3 hours at the final destination.
- Cancellation announced 14+ days ahead, or re-routing within the legal windows.
- Check your flight
- Check compensation for this route
- Official source
- Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on Air Transport (signed 21 June 1999) — European Community / Swiss ConfederationLast checked against the source on 12 September 2026
What happens if my Geneva → Paris flight is delayed or cancelled?
the Swiss rules (Reg. 261/2004) applies to every airline on this route: €250 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more, a cancellation announced under 14 days ahead, or denied boarding, unless the airline proves an extraordinary circumstance. Refund, re-routing and care are due whatever the cause.
Does this apply to your flight?
Checking a Geneva → Paris flight?
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Already known from this page
- Geneva (GVA) → Paris (CDG)
What happened to your flight?
Which rules apply on this direction
Flights from Geneva Airport (GVA) to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) depart Switzerland, so Regulation 261/2004 as applied in Switzerland applies to every airline that operates the route. The great-circle distance is 407 km (up to 1,500 km), which puts the fixed compensation at €250 per passenger for a delay of three hours or more at arrival, a cancellation announced less than 14 days ahead without a close replacement, or involuntary denied boarding.
Whatever the cause, care starts earlier than compensation on this short-distance flight: after 2 hours of delay at Geneva Airport the airline owes meals and communication, and after 5 hours you may abandon the trip and demand a refund of the unused ticket.
Airlines on the route and whether they are covered
-
Air France (AF, EU/EEA licence): covered on this direction (CH261 applies to every airline departing Switzerland). Member of Médiation Tourisme et Voyage (MTV).
-
easyJet (U2, UK licence): covered on this direction (CH261 applies to every airline departing Switzerland). Member of AviationADR.
Departing from Geneva Airport
Geneva sits against the French border and its approaches use French airspace, so French ATC action affects it directly. Cancellation and denied-boarding rights on departure are certain; long-delay compensation is applied in practice but ultimately depends on how a Swiss court reads the EU case law.
Airport guides: Geneva Airport · Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport — the causes airlines cite at each end, the enforcement body, and the other routes with their own page.
Return direction
The return, Paris → Geneva, departs France, so it falls under Regulation (EC) 261/2004 (EU261) on every airline instead of Regulation 261/2004 as applied in Switzerland: €250 per passenger.
Escalation also moves to France: complaints go to Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile (DGAC) (France) rather than Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA / BAZL); the dispute-resolution scheme is Médiation Tourisme et Voyage (MTV); the limitation period for a court claim is 5 years instead of 2 years; a court claim is brought before the Tribunal judiciaire — procédure simplifiée / European Small Claims Procedure.
Where to escalate
Claim from the airline first. If it refuses or does not answer, the competent enforcement body for this direction is Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA / BAZL) (Switzerland). FOCA handles complaints administratively; it cannot award compensation. Civil claims go to the ordinary courts.
Court claims in Switzerland are subject to a limitation period of 2 years (Art. 14 of the Air Transport Ordinance (LTrV, SR 748.411), applied to Art. 7 compensation by the Basel-Stadt Appeals Court (BEZ.2016.3, 29 June 2016), case law).
A court claim goes to the Civil court (simplified procedure) after the conciliation authority. Conciliation authority first (Schlichtungsbehörde / autorité de conciliation), then the civil court in the simplified procedure.
About this route
Geneva–Paris is flown by Air France and easyJet Switzerland. From Geneva, cancellation and denied-boarding rights are certain; long-delay compensation depends on Swiss court interpretation. From Paris, EU261 applies with full confidence.
Frequently asked questions
Is a delayed or cancelled flight from Geneva to Paris covered by Regulation 261/2004 as applied in Switzerland?
Yes, on any airline: the flight departs from Switzerland, so Regulation 261/2004 as applied in Switzerland applies whatever the carrier's nationality. Whether compensation is due then depends on the disruption — an arrival delay of three hours or more, a cancellation announced less than 14 days ahead, or denied boarding — and on the cause.
How much compensation for a delayed or cancelled Geneva to Paris flight?
€250 per passenger for a 407 km flight, if the disruption qualifies and no extraordinary circumstance is proven. It is the same for every fare and does not depend on the ticket price; a re-routing that gets you there within the Article 7(2) time limits can halve it.
What if the airline rejects my claim for a Geneva to Paris flight?
Reply once in writing asking for the facts behind the refusal, then escalate outside the airline. ADR schemes for this route: easyJet → AviationADR — free for passengers. Air France: no ADR scheme on file for this country — complain to the enforcement body instead. The enforcement body is Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA / BAZL). Court claims must be brought within the limitation period of Switzerland: 2 years.
Do the same rules apply on the way back, from Paris to Geneva?
Not entirely. On the return flight the regime changes to EU Regulation 261/2004; the competent enforcement body is Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC); the court deadline follows the other country. Each direction is judged on its own departure.
Sources
- European Community / Swiss ConfederationAgreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on Air Transport (signed 21 June 1999)
- Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA / BAZL)Air passenger rights — scope, how to refer a case to FOCA, questions and answers
- Court of Justice of the European UnionCase C-559/16 Bossen v Brussels Airlines — the distance is the great-circle distance between the first departure and the final destination
- 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: 14 September 2026 · Content updated: 14 September 2026
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