Orange2Fly compensation: what is left to claim now the Greek airline has closed
Orange2Fly was a small charter airline headquartered at Athens International Airport. Founded in 2015, it began flying in July 2016 with a single 180-seat Airbus A320, mostly on charters, ad hoc flights and wet-lease work for other carriers. It stopped flying in January 2021 and went bankrupt that September. We still take on claims for its flights and look at every case individually.
As a Greek-licensed operator, Orange2Fly was an EU carrier. Regulation (EC) 261/2004 therefore covered every departure from a European airport and also arrivals into Europe from non-EU countries, such as Kosovo, where some of its scheduled services started until early 2020.
Arrival delay
At least three hours later than the time on your ticket.
3 hours or moreCancellation
Announced less than two weeks before departure.
Under 14 daysBumped
Kept off the flight through no fault of yours, with a confirmed seat.
ImmediateExclusions
Events the airline could not control, such as gales over the Aegean.
Force majeureStill have paperwork from an Orange2Fly flight? Check your case here at no cost.
From creditor protection to bankruptcy
In October 2020, at the height of the air travel slump, Orange2Fly sought protection from its creditors in a Greek court. In January 2021 it suspended flying, with its only A320 grounded, and bankruptcy followed in September 2021. Unpaid compensation became a claim in those proceedings. Recovering it from the company itself is hard and slow, but that is not always the only route, as we explain below for wet-lease flights.
What an Orange2Fly flight could be worth
Your fare is irrelevant. Compensation depends only on the distance between departure and arrival airports:
| Distance | Sample distance from Athens | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | Athens–Rome, about 1,100 km | €250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | Athens–Paris, about 2,100 km | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | Unusual for a medium-haul A320 | €600 |
Three friends on a 2,100 km route that landed five hours late would have been owed €1,200 between them. Children with a paid seat are entitled to the same amount as adults.
Delayed with Orange2Fly: rebuilding the trip
- Find the flight number: the ticket often carried the code of the airline that sold you the trip.
- Dig out your boarding pass or the travel agent's voucher.
- Search your inbox for delay notices from the agent or the airline.
- Keep receipts for anything you bought at the airport.
- Note the actual arrival time as best you remember: we compare it with flight records.
Meals, drinks and hotel
| Route length | Care from |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 2 hours |
| 1,500–3,500 km | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km | 4 hours |
| Over 5 hours | You may abandon the trip and get the fare back |
Stopovers and connections
On a single booking, what counts is your arrival time at the final destination. Full details on the delayed Orange2Fly flight page.
Orange2Fly flight cancelled
Or an alternative flight: the passenger decides.
On top, if the news came less than 14 days before the flight.
| Warning given | Compensation |
|---|---|
| At least 14 days | Not due |
| 7–13 days | Due, except with an alternative departing no more than 2 hours earlier and arriving less than 4 hours late |
| Under 7 days | Due, except with an alternative departing no more than 1 hour earlier and arriving less than 2 hours late |
Flights scrapped in 2020-21. Many cancellations from that period are linked to public health restrictions and need checking one by one. See the cancelled Orange2Fly flight page.
Orange2Fly overbooking
If you were refused boarding against your will, compensation was due straight away, together with a seat on another flight. More in our guide to Orange2Fly overbooking.
Strikes and Orange2Fly flights
The EU Court of Justice treats a strike by an airline's own staff as one of its normal business risks (case C-28/20). A strike by Greek air traffic controllers, by contrast, is an external event: only the right to care remains.
Excuses not to accept at face value
With a single A320, any fault wiped out the whole schedule: a business risk, not an extraordinary one.
CJEU, case C-549/07An internal cause, but after bankruptcy the real chances of being paid shrink.
If they genuinely stopped take-offs or landings, the airline is off the hook.
Flights operated for other airlines
Much of Orange2Fly's work was leasing its aircraft and crew to third parties. In those cases your ticket showed another airline's name and code, and that airline, which planned and sold the flight, is normally the one responsible to passengers. If it is still trading, your chances of being paid are far better.
Making the claim
You must work out who is liable, write to Greece or to the airline that sold the flight and, if refused, go to the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed (the CAA for UK departures) or to court.
We identify who is liable and act through our own lawyers. Fee only on success: 25% + VAT, so €173.75 of €250 is yours. No legal costs for you, even if the case is lost.
What to gather
- Ticket or voucherEven if it names a different airline.
- IDFor every traveller.
- Messages receivedNotices, emails and receipts.
Deadlines
The Regulation sets no time limit; the law of the country where you claim does (case C-139/11). For flights between 2016 and 2021 the answer varies widely from country to country: enter the date and we'll check.
How soon you get paid
If the airline that sold the flight pays, it usually takes a few weeks, or a few months where a formal demand is needed. Payment out of the Greek bankruptcy is far less predictable.
Baggage on an Orange2Fly flight
Lost or damaged suitcases fall under the Montreal Convention: a PIR at the airport, then a claim within 7 days for damage or 21 days from delivery for delay.
Orange2Fly details
- Former head office
- Athens International Airport, Greece
- Status
- Flights suspended from January 2021, bankrupt since September 2021
- Customer service
- No longer active
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