Tunisair compensation: which flights qualify
Tunisair is Tunisia's state-owned national airline, headquartered at its main base, Tunis-Carthage airport. We have opened more than 160 Tunisair claims, nearly 9 in 10 of them for delays, on routes such as London GatwickāTunis, MadridāTunis and MilanāTunis. The key point: Tunisair is not a European or British airline, so passenger protection depends entirely on where your flight took off.
From the UK: covered
LondonāTunis falls under UK261, the British version of the rules, which protects every flight leaving a UK airport.
UK261, in poundsFrom the EU: covered
MadridāTunis, BarcelonaāTunis, MilanāTunis: EU Regulation 261/2004 applies, as it does from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
EU261, in eurosFrom Tunis: not covered
TunisāLondon, TunisāBarcelona and other return flights fall outside both UK261 and EU261, because they leave a non-European country on a non-European airline.
No statutory compensationExemptions
Even on covered flights, nothing is owed if Tunisair proves extraordinary circumstances such as a sandstorm or an air traffic control strike.
Extraordinary circumstancesYour return is still excluded if it was on the same booking as the outbound: each flight is judged by its departure airport. On covered flights you need a 3-hour arrival delay, a cancellation with under 14 days' notice, or denied boarding. Check your Tunisair flight.
How much Tunisair pays on flights from Europe
Compensation is a fixed sum per passenger, set by distance rather than fare:
| Distance | Tunisair departures covered | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | MadridāTunis, BarcelonaāTunis, MilanāTunis (EU261) | ā¬250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | London GatwickāTunis (UK261) | Ā£350 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | BrusselsāTunis (EU261) | ā¬400 |
| Over 3,500 km | Only with a single ticket from Europe to a distant destination via Tunis | ā¬600 / Ā£520 |
Each family member has their own claim, including children with a seat: four people on a GatwickāTunis flight landing 5 hours late could claim Ā£1,400 between them.
Delayed Tunisair flight: what to do at the airport
Delays account for 86% of our Tunisair claims. What counts is when the doors open in Tunis, not when the aircraft takes off. While you wait:
- Photograph your Tunisair boarding pass as soon as you receive it.
- Ask the handling agent's desk for written confirmation of the delay.
- Take a picture of the departures board at Gatwick, then the arrivals screen in Tunis.
- Keep receipts for food and drink if no meal vouchers are handed out.
- List everyone in your party, children included: each person is owed compensation.
Care at your departure airport
On covered departures Tunisair must provide meals and refreshments, and a hotel with transfers if you are delayed overnight.
| Distance | From |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km (MadridāTunis) | 2 hours |
| 1,500ā3,500 km (LondonāTunis) | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km | 4 hours |
| Wait of more than 5 hours | You can drop the trip and get your fare back |
Missed connection in Tunis
If you left the UK or the EU on one ticket and were connecting in Tunis, the delay at your final destination and the total distance are what count. More on our page about Tunisair delay compensation.
Tunisair cancelled your flight
Roughly one Tunisair claim in ten we handle is a cancellation. When a covered departure is scrapped, you have two rights that stack:
Choose a refund or the first available alternative to Tunis.
On top, if notice came late and the cause was not extraordinary.
| Cancellation notice | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more | Not due |
| 7 to 13 days | Due if the alternative leaves more than 2 hours early or lands 4 hours or more late |
| Under 7 days | Due if the alternative leaves more than 1 hour early or lands 2 hours or more late |
Flight retimed by several hours? A big schedule change shortly before departure can count as a cancellation. See our page on Tunisair cancellations.
Tunisair overbooking
Denied boarding is uncommon with Tunisair, around 3 claims in 100, but it does happen at peak times such as summer and holidays. On a covered departure, if you are kept off a flight despite a valid ticket and arriving on time, compensation is due immediately along with rerouting or a refund. Read more about Tunisair overbooking.
Strikes and Tunisair flights
If a flight leaving the EU is delayed or cancelled because Tunisair's own staff are on strike, the EU Court of Justice treats that as within the airline's control, so compensation is usually due (case C-28/20). For flights from the UK the UK courts decide, as they are not bound by EU rulings after 2020. A strike by air traffic controllers or airport staff removes the right to compensation, but not to care.
Tunisair turned you down? Its usual reasons
These are the explanations we see in Tunisair replies and how we assess them:
Breakdowns and maintenance are part of everyday airline operations.
EU Court of Justice, case C-549/07A small fleet or a plane stuck elsewhere is Tunisair's organisational problem.
Tunisair staff on a flight from the EU: usually payable. Air traffic control: not payable.
EU Court of Justice, case C-28/20Strong winds or a sandstorm can excuse the delay if they really affected that flight; we check airport records.
Tunisair today: an airline under restructuring
In recent years Tunisair has flown with a reduced fleet and frequent delays. In 2026 it is still operating as a state-owned company, in a financial rescue phase backed by the Tunisian government. Money troubles or a shortage of aircraft are not extraordinary circumstances and do not cancel your right to compensation on covered departures.
How to claim from Tunisair: on your own or with us
Tunisair has an online complaints form on its website. You can use it or leave the work to us.
Free, but you have to chase the airline and, if nothing happens, go to the CAA for UK departures, the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed for EU departures, or the courts.
Fill in and sign online: we handle the claim, the formal demand and any court case. 25% + VAT only if you are paid; legal costs are ours even if we lose.
Tunisair has already said no?
Send us the reply. If your flight left the UK or the EU and the reason does not hold up, we restart with a formal demand.
Documents for your claim
- Ticket or boarding passA clear photo showing the flight number and name is enough.
- Passport or IDFor each passenger.
- Proof of the delayPhotos of screens, messages, receipts.
Time limits
EU261 has no deadline of its own: national law where you claim applies (EU Court of Justice, case C-139/11); for UK departures, UK limitation rules apply. Many older flights can still be claimed: check your date.
How long Tunisair takes to pay
If Tunisair pays without a dispute, a few weeks is typical. If a formal demand or court action is needed, allow a few months. We transfer your share as soon as the money reaches us.
Luggage problems with Tunisair
Lost or damaged bags are covered by the international air carriage conventions, starting with the Montreal Convention. Fill in a PIR on arrival before leaving the airport and send a written complaint within 7 days for damage or within 21 days of delivery for a delayed bag.
Tunisair contacts
- Head office
- Tunisair, Tunis-Carthage International Airport, Tunisia
- Complaints
- Online complaints form on tunisair.com
- Flight status
- Tunisair official website
- Loyalty
- Fidelys programme
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