Air Arabia compensation: when you can claim €250 or €400
We have handled more than 200 Air Arabia claims for over 300 passengers, nearly all on flights between Europe and Morocco, with Bergamo, Bologna and Venice to Casablanca at the top of the list. These routes are about 2,000 km, so a delay of three hours or more on arrival, a last-minute cancellation or being bumped from the flight is worth €400 per passenger.
Check the direction first. Air Arabia's European routes are flown by Air Arabia Maroc, a low-cost airline headquartered at Casablanca airport and licensed in Morocco. That makes it a non-EU carrier, so Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies only when you fly out of Europe. Amsterdam–Nador is covered; Nador–Amsterdam is not.
Delayed flight
You left a European airport and landed in Morocco at least three hours behind schedule.
3 hours on arrivalCancelled flight
A departure from Europe was dropped with under two weeks' notice and no similar alternative.
Less than 14 days' noticeOverbooking
You were at the gate on time with a confirmed booking, yet someone else got your seat.
Payable straight awayWhen it is not owed
On flights from Morocco into Europe, and when the airline proves an outside cause such as a storm or an air traffic control strike.
Moroccan departure or outside eventEnter your route and date and within two minutes you will know whether you can claim. Check your Air Arabia flight.
How much Air Arabia pays on Morocco routes
A cheap fare does not mean less: the amount depends only on the distance flown.
| Air Arabia route | Covered? | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bergamo–Casablanca, Bologna–Casablanca, Venice–Casablanca | Yes, 1,500 to 3,500 km | €400 |
| Amsterdam–Nador, Brussels–Tangier, Lyon–Casablanca | Yes, 1,500 to 3,500 km | €400 |
| Barcelona–Casablanca, Madrid–Tangier | Yes, up to 1,500 km | €250 |
| Casablanca–Bergamo, Nador–Amsterdam, Tangier–Brussels | No, departs Morocco | Not owed |
Every passenger on the booking is entitled: a family of five on a Bologna–Casablanca flight that arrived four hours late can claim €2,000 in total. Children with their own seat count in full. In our form, add the flight once and then add your fellow travellers.
Delayed Air Arabia flight: what to do
More than 7 in 10 of our Air Arabia claims concern a delay. What counts is when the door opens on arrival. In the meantime:
- Keep your boarding pass, even just the PDF from online check-in.
- Photograph the departures board showing the revised time.
- Save texts and emails from Air Arabia about the delay.
- Note the time you land in Casablanca, Nador or Tangier and when the door opens.
- Turn down AirRewards credit offered instead of cash compensation unless you are sure it is worth more.
Care Air Arabia owes you while you wait
On a Europe–Morocco flight of 1,500 to 3,500 km, meals and drinks are due after three hours; if departure moves to the next day, a hotel and transfers too.
| Flight length | Care after |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km, such as Barcelona–Casablanca | 2 hours |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km, such as Bologna–Casablanca | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km | 4 hours |
| Delay of 5 hours or more | You can cancel the trip and get your money back |
Onward connections in Morocco
On a single booking from Europe that continues beyond Casablanca, the final arrival time and the total distance count. On separate tickets, the onward flight from Morocco is not covered. Full details on compensation for a delayed Air Arabia flight.
Cancelled Air Arabia flight: refund and compensation
More than 1 in 10 of our Air Arabia cases is a cancellation. A refund and compensation are not mutually exclusive.
Always available: your money back or a seat on another flight, even on a different day.
Added on top if the flight left Europe and you heard less than 14 days before.
| Notice | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more | No; refund or new flight remain |
| 7 to 13 days | Yes, unless the alternative leaves at most 2 hours early and arrives within 4 hours of schedule |
| Under 7 days | Yes, unless the alternative leaves at most 1 hour early and arrives within 2 hours of schedule |
Schedule changes. A Bergamo–Casablanca flight brought forward to the morning or pushed back to the evening a few days before travel may count as a cancellation. See compensation for a cancelled Air Arabia flight or check your case.
Air Arabia overbooking in the summer peak
Around 7 in 100 of our Air Arabia claims involve denied boarding, a higher share than for many airlines. It happens mostly in July and August, when Moroccan families living in Europe head home and flights are full. If you turned up on time and did not volunteer to give up your seat, compensation is due at once along with an alternative flight. It is not owed if your travel documents were not in order. Read our guide to Air Arabia overbooking and denied boarding.
Strikes and Air Arabia flights
When air traffic controllers or airport staff in Italy, France or Spain walk out, Air Arabia does not owe compensation, though care, refunds and rebooking still apply. A strike by the airline's own crew or ground staff is a different matter: the Court of Justice of the EU treats it as an ordinary business risk, so compensation is normally due (case C-28/20).
Air Arabia rejected your claim? Typical answers
Work on an A320 is part of normal fleet management.
Court of Justice of the EU, case C-549/07Aircraft rotation is the airline's own planning; it does not rule out compensation unless an exceptional event started the chain.
Airline staff on strike: normally owed. Controllers or airport staff: not owed.
Court of Justice of the EU, case C-28/20A correct answer: for a Moroccan carrier the Regulation only covers departures from Europe.
Air Arabia Maroc and the rest of the group
Air Arabia was founded in Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, where it has its main base, and runs affiliates in other countries: Air Arabia Maroc (code 3O), Air Arabia Egypt, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi and Fly Jinnah in Pakistan. None of them is European. Air Arabia Maroc flies Airbus A320s from Morocco and links Casablanca, Tangier, Nador, Fez and Rabat with Italy, France, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Return flights from Morocco. Casablanca–Bergamo, Nador–Amsterdam or Tangier–Brussels fall outside the Regulation because they leave a non-EU country on a non-EU airline. For documented expenses, the Montreal Convention remains.
How to claim from Air Arabia: on your own or with us
Air Arabia asks for compensation requests to be sent through the online customer service form on its website, with your booking reference and flight number; if you already have a case number, reply under that.
Free, but you handle every exchange yourself. If the answer stays no, you can turn to the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed, or to the courts.
Fill in the form and sign online. We write to Air Arabia and, if needed, go to court with our own lawyers. You pay only if you are compensated: 25% + VAT. Legal costs are ours, even if the case is lost.
Already refused?
Forward us the reply: if the refusal is unfounded, we restart with a formal demand.
Useful documents
- Booking confirmationThe Air Arabia email with reference and flight number.
- Passport or ID cardFor each traveller, children included.
- EvidenceTexts, board photos, receipts for meals or hotels.
Deadline for claiming
The Regulation sets no time limit: it depends on the law of the country where you bring the claim (Court of Justice of the EU, case C-139/11). You are often still in time: enter the date.
How long Air Arabia compensation takes
If Air Arabia accepts, payment generally arrives within a few weeks. If it refuses and a formal demand or court case is needed, expect several months. Once we receive the money we transfer your share: €278 from €400, €173.75 from €250.
Lost or damaged luggage with Air Arabia
Baggage falls under the Montreal Convention. If your case does not arrive in Morocco or arrives damaged, file a PIR at the airport and send a written complaint within 7 days for damage or 21 days from delivery for a delay.
Air Arabia contacts and flight status
- Operating airline for Europe
- Air Arabia Maroc, Mohammed V Airport, Casablanca, Morocco
- Parent company
- Air Arabia, Sharjah International Airport, United Arab Emirates
- Complaints
- Online customer service form on airarabia.com
- Flight status
- Air Arabia app or official website
Ryanair
Wizz Air
Vueling