Which airlines pay up and which fight back?
Not all airlines treat EU261 claims equally. Some pay promptly. Others deny, delay, and dispute. We've researched each airline's track record so you know what to expect with sources.
Key EU261 legal rulings
Landmark court decisions that established how passenger rights law is applied across Europe.
Sturgeon v Condor / Böck v Air France (CJEU, 2009)
Established that a delay of 3+ hours on arrival entitles passengers to the same compensation as a cancellation. Before this ruling, airlines argued that delays (as opposed to cancellations) were not covered by EU261.
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Wallentin-Hermann v Alitalia (CJEU, 2008)
Clarified that routine technical problems with an aircraft are NOT extraordinary circumstances, because they are inherent in normal airline operations. Airlines cannot use standard mechanical faults to escape liability.
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Huzar v easyJet (UK Court of Appeal, 2014)
Confirmed in UK law that a technical fault does not qualify as extraordinary circumstances. This ruling made UK law consistent with the CJEU approach and has been cited in thousands of subsequent UK claims.
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Van der Lans v KLM (CJEU, 2015)
An unexpected technical problem discovered during pre-flight checks is not automatically an extraordinary circumstance. The court emphasised that airlines must carry appropriate spare parts and technical staff to deal with foreseeable issues.
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Transportes Aereos v Ryanair (CJEU, 2019)
A strike by an airline's own employees (cabin crew, ground staff) does not constitute extraordinary circumstances. Airlines cannot avoid paying compensation when their own staff take industrial action.
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Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (EU261)
The foundational regulation establishing passenger rights for delayed, cancelled and overbooked flights. Applies to all flights departing from EU airports, and to EU carrier flights arriving into the EU. The UK retained an equivalent regulation (UK261) post-Brexit.
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Disclaimer: The information on this page is based on publicly available sources including Civil Aviation Authority reports, court judgments, consumer group research, and regulatory decisions. Compliance ratings represent our editorial assessment based on published data and are not official ratings. Individual claim outcomes vary. Last reviewed July 2026. Sources are linked directly from each airline profile.