Arkia compensation: which flights the EU rules cover
Arkia is an Israeli airline based at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, also known for its domestic flights to Eilat. We have handled more than 130 Arkia claims, nearly all on flights from European cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Athens and Larnaca to Tel Aviv. If one of these flights landed three hours late or was cancelled at short notice, you may be owed €250 or €400 per passenger.
There is an important catch: Arkia is not an EU airline. Regulation (EC) 261/2004 only applies to its flights departing from an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. Arkia's return flights from Tel Aviv to Europe are normally not covered. On a single booking that starts in the EU and continues via a connection, the final destination is what counts.
Delay to Israel
Your flight from Europe reaches the gate in Tel Aviv three hours or more behind schedule.
EU departures onlyCancellation
Arkia cancels your departure from Europe with less than 14 days' notice.
Under 14 days' noticeBumped
You are refused boarding in Paris or Athens because the flight is full.
Owed on the spotNot covered
Arkia flights from Tel Aviv to Europe, Israeli domestic flights and extraordinary events such as an airspace closure.
ExclusionsNot sure where your flight stands? Enter the details and we will check.
How much Arkia pays on routes from Europe
The amount depends on the distance between the European departure airport and Tel Aviv, not on the fare. Most Arkia routes from Western Europe fall into the €400 band.
| Distance | Covered Arkia routes | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | Larnaca–Tel Aviv, Athens–Tel Aviv | €250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | Paris–Tel Aviv, Amsterdam–Tel Aviv, Barcelona–Tel Aviv | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | No Arkia route from the EU to Israel is this long | €600 |
Compensation is per person. A couple travelling with two children on a Paris–Tel Aviv flight that arrived four hours late can claim €1,600 from Arkia, as children with their own seat count as adults. Add everyone on one form: you only enter the flight once.
Flying from the UK? Arkia departures from Manchester fall under the UK's own version of the rules rather than the EU Regulation, with amounts set in pounds. The UK Civil Aviation Authority oversees them.
Arkia flight delayed from Paris, Amsterdam or Barcelona: what to do
More than 8 in 10 of the Arkia claims we receive are about delays. On a four-hour-plus sector like Amsterdam–Tel Aviv, an aircraft that turned up late from Israel carries the whole delay into your flight. What matters is when the doors open at Ben Gurion. While you wait:
- Keep the boarding pass and the Arkia booking confirmation.
- Ask ground staff why the flight is late and note the answer; Arkia's written reply may differ.
- Snap the departures screen at Charles de Gaulle, Schiphol or El Prat with the new time.
- Keep receipts for food and hotels if the wait stretches on.
- Sign nothing that swaps your compensation for a voucher.
Care at the departure airport
On covered flights Arkia must provide meals and drinks while you wait and, if departure slips to the next day, a hotel and transfers.
| Distance | Care after |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 2 hours |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km | 4 hours |
| Delay of 5 hours or more | You may abandon the trip and get the fare refunded |
Missed connection with Arkia
If you set off from the EU on one booking and a late first flight meant you reached your final destination three hours or more late, compensation is calculated on the total distance. Separate tickets are judged flight by flight. More on our Arkia delay compensation page.
Arkia flight cancelled: refund and compensation
Around 15 in every 100 Arkia claims we handle start with a cancellation. On a departure from Europe you always get a choice, plus compensation if the warning came late.
Your choice: the ticket price back or another flight to Tel Aviv as soon as possible.
Paid on top if Arkia told you less than 14 days before departure.
| Notice | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more | Not owed; refund or re-routing still apply |
| 7 to 13 days | Owed, unless the replacement leaves no more than 2 hours early and arrives less than 4 hours late |
| Under 7 days | Owed, unless the replacement leaves no more than 1 hour early and arrives less than 2 hours late |
Schedule changes. A big shift in departure time announced shortly before the flight can count as a cancellation under EU case law. Already refunded? Check for compensation too. See our Arkia cancelled flight page.
Arkia overbooking: when you can claim
Denied boarding is rare in our Arkia files, about 2 cases in 100. If you are left behind at a European airport with a valid ticket and on time, compensation is owed immediately alongside an alternative flight. It is not owed if boarding is refused for reasons on your side, such as documents or a failed security check. Read our guide to Arkia overbooking.
Arkia strikes and airport strikes
If Arkia's own staff walk out, compensation on a flight departing the EU is normally payable, because a strike by the airline's employees is not extraordinary (case C-28/20). A general strike in Israel that shuts Ben Gurion, or action by European air traffic controllers, is outside the airline's control, so no compensation is due.
Arkia turned down your claim? Common answers
A fault found during routine maintenance is the airline's risk, not an extraordinary event.
EU Court of Justice, case C-549/07When the authorities close airspace for security reasons, that is extraordinary. Refund or re-routing and care still apply.
Arkia sometimes leases aircraft with crew from other carriers. The claim goes to the operator: if it is an EU airline, even the return from Tel Aviv may be covered.
A delay built up on the previous sector does not rule out compensation unless an extraordinary event caused it.
Arkia flights from Tel Aviv to Europe: why they are not covered
This is the question Arkia passengers ask us most. For non-EU airlines the Regulation only applies when the flight leaves a European airport, so a late Tel Aviv–Paris or Tel Aviv–Barcelona flight does not trigger the €250-600 EU payments. The same goes for domestic flights to Eilat. A flight sold under the Arkia code but operated by an EU carrier is different, and we check that for you.
How to claim from Arkia: on your own or with DelayFlight24
You can contact customer service through the official arkia.com website, quoting your booking and flight numbers.
Free, but you deal with an airline based in Israel and handle the replies. If refused, you can turn to the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed or the civil courts, at your own cost.
Sign online and we do the rest, including court action with our own lawyers. You only pay if it succeeds: 25% + VAT. From €400 you keep €278, from €250 you keep €173.75. Legal costs are ours even if we lose.
Arkia has already rejected you
Send us the reply. If the reason does not hold under EU law, we send a formal letter before action.
Useful documents
- Booking and boarding passShowing the departure from a European airport.
- PassportFor each traveller, children included.
- Arkia's messagesDelay or cancellation notices and receipts.
Deadline for an Arkia claim
The Regulation has no deadline of its own; national law applies (EU Court of Justice, case C-139/11). Enter your flight date and we will tell you whether you are still in time.
How long Arkia takes to pay
When Arkia accepts a claim, payment usually comes through within a few weeks. If a formal demand and legal action are needed, allow several months. We pass on your share as soon as the money reaches us.
Lost baggage on an Arkia flight
Bags fall under the Montreal Convention, not Regulation 261. If your case does not arrive in Tel Aviv, complete a PIR before leaving the arrivals hall; send the written claim within 7 days for damage and within 21 days of delivery for delay.
Arkia contact details and flight status
- Head office
- Arkia Israeli Airlines, Ben Gurion Airport, Israel
- Complaints
- Customer service via arkia.com
- Flight status
- arkia.com or the departure airport's information screens
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