If your flight is cancelled or arrives more than 3 hours late because the airline's own staff are on strike (pilots, cabin crew), you are entitled to €250, €400 or €600 in compensation: the EU Court of Justice ruled that this is not an extraordinary circumstance (case C-28/20). With an air traffic control or airport staff strike, compensation is usually not owed. Either way, you are always entitled to a refund or alternative flight and to care at the airport.
Who is on strike makes all the difference
Regulation (EC) 261/2004 only lets an airline off paying compensation if the cancellation or delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances, meaning events beyond its control. With strikes, what matters is who walks out:
| Who is on strike | €250–€600 compensation | Refund or alternative flight | Care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilots, cabin crew or other airline staff | Yes (case C-28/20) | Yes | Yes |
| Air traffic controllers | Usually not | Yes | Yes |
| Airport staff not employed by the airline (security, outsourced ground handling) | Usually not, judged case by case | Yes | Yes |
Airline staff strikes: the C-28/20 ruling
In case C-28/20 the EU Court of Justice made clear that a strike called by a union of the airline's own staff to win pay rises or better conditions is not an extraordinary circumstance. It is part of running the business: the airline negotiates with its employees and has the means to prepare.
So if your flight was cancelled or arrived at least 3 hours late because the airline's pilots or cabin crew were on strike, you are owed compensation, even if the airline gives "strike" as the reason.
Air traffic control and airport strikes
Air traffic controllers do not work for the airline, which cannot prevent their strike. That is why it is usually treated as an extraordinary circumstance and compensation is not owed. The same generally goes for strikes by airport security staff.
The airline still has to prove that your flight was directly hit by the strike and that it did what it reasonably could to limit the disruption. Strikes by French air traffic controllers regularly affect flights between Ireland or the UK and southern Europe that cross French airspace: check your flight status before setting off.
One more rule: if the airline tells you about a cancellation at least 14 days in advance, no compensation is owed, whatever the reason.
What to do if a strike grounds your flight
- Check before you leave for flight status updates and messages from the airline.
- Ask in writing for the reason for the cancellation or delay, and who is on strike.
- Choose between a refund and an alternative flight: a refund must be paid within 7 days, in money unless you accept a voucher.
- Ask for meals and, if you fly the next day, a hotel and transfer. If you get nothing, keep your receipts: reasonable costs can be claimed back.
- Note your actual arrival time: the delay on arrival is what counts, not on departure.
How to claim compensation
The full rules are on our cancelled flight page. With DelayFlight24 you can check for free in 2 minutes whether you are owed compensation: if you go ahead, we check who was on strike and handle the claim, the reminders and, if needed, court action. You pay nothing upfront and our fee is 25% + VAT only if you get compensated. For other reasons airlines give, read our guide to extraordinary circumstances; if the cancellation came at the last minute, see flight cancelled at the last minute.
Frequently asked questions about airline strikes
The airline says the strike was an extraordinary circumstance: is it right?
It depends on who was on strike. If it was the airline's own staff, no: ruling C-28/20 rules that out. If it was air traffic controllers, usually yes.
Am I owed anything during an air traffic control strike?
Yes: a refund or alternative flight and care at the airport (meals, drinks, a hotel if needed). Only the compensation is missing.
The strike was announced days in advance: does that change anything?
What counts is when the airline told you about the cancellation. With 14 days' notice or more, no compensation is owed; with less, it depends on who was on strike and on the alternative flight offered.
I booked another flight myself: can I get the cost back?
If the airline did not offer a suitable alternative flight, you can claim reasonable costs with receipts. Keep everything.
The strike hit my outbound flight: what about my return?
Your return flight remains valid. If you give up the trip because the outbound was cancelled, you can ask for a refund of the whole ticket.
Work out your compensation now
Enter where you flew from and to: in 2 minutes you will know whether you are owed compensation and how much.
- Free check, no commitment
- No upfront costs: 25% + VAT only if we win
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Find out more
- Air passenger rights
- Delayed flight: when you can claim compensation
- Cancelled flight: refund and compensation
- Overbooking: what you are owed
- What our service costs
Article updated on 22/10/2026 by the DelayFlight24 editorial team.