Ethiopian Airlines compensation: €600 for delays and cancellations from Europe
Ethiopian Airlines is Ethiopia's national carrier and, through its Addis Ababa hub, links Europe with dozens of cities across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. In the British Isles it flies from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester and Dublin. We have handled more than 100 Ethiopian claims, many starting in London, Paris or Rome and continuing to East Africa. If your flight from Europe got you to your destination 3 or more hours late, was cancelled or left you behind, you are usually owed €600 per person.
One thing to know first: Ethiopian is wholly owned by the Ethiopian state and based in Addis Ababa, so it is not an EU airline. Regulation (EC) 261/2004 applies only when it takes off from the EU, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland. Your Addis Ababa–Europe return leg is not covered.
Late arrival
Departure from Europe, arrival at your final stop, even after changing in Addis, 3 or more hours late.
3 hours at final stopFlight cancelled
Notice came less than 14 days ahead and the alternative did not match your times.
Late noticeLeft behind
No seat despite a confirmed ticket and arriving at the gate on time.
Paid immediatelyExcluded
Flights from Addis Ababa to Europe, and causes genuinely beyond the airline's control.
Return legs and outside eventsEnter your flight and see straight away whether European rules apply. Check your Ethiopian flight.
How much Ethiopian Airlines pays
Addis Ababa is more than 3,500 km from every European airport Ethiopian serves, so the top amount applies. If your journey continued to Nairobi, Zanzibar or Johannesburg, the distance to your final destination is even greater and the figure stays the same.
| Departure | Destination | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Dublin | Addis Ababa | €600 |
| Paris, Brussels, Vienna | Addis Ababa | €600 |
| Rome, Milan, Madrid | Addis Ababa | €600 |
| Geneva, Stockholm | Addis Ababa | €600 |
| Dublin or Paris, via Addis Ababa | Zanzibar, Nairobi, Johannesburg and beyond | €600 |
The amount is due to every traveller, children with a seat included: three friends on Dublin–Addis Ababa–Zanzibar landing 4 hours late could claim €1,800 between them.
Flying from London or Manchester? UK departures fall under UK261, the British version of the rules, with compensation in pounds. If a claim is rejected, the CAA is the body to contact.
Ethiopian delay: what to do
In our files 7 in 10 Ethiopian claims stem from a delay, and the problem usually grows at the hub: an hour lost leaving Europe can mean a missed onward flight in Addis Ababa. At the airport:
- Photograph both boarding passes, for Addis Ababa and for the connection.
- Get rebooked at the Bole transfer desk and ask for the new itinerary in writing.
- Note when you land at your final destination: that is the time that counts.
- Ask for a hotel and meals if your next connection is the following day, and keep receipts.
- Do not convert compensation into ShebaMiles before checking what you are owed in cash.
What Ethiopian owes you while you wait
At these distances the airline must offer meals and drinks after 4 hours, plus a night's accommodation with transport if departure moves to the next day.
| Wait on departure from the EU | Entitlement |
|---|---|
| From 4 hours | Meals and drinks |
| Departure next day | Hotel and transfers |
| Over 5 hours | Abandon the trip and get your fare back |
Missed connection in Addis Ababa
Nearly every Ethiopian journey from Europe goes through Addis Ababa Bole. On a single ticket, a missed connection is the airline's problem: what counts is the delay at your final destination, and compensation reflects the whole journey. With separate tickets, only the flight leaving Europe can qualify. See our page on Ethiopian Airlines delay compensation.
Ethiopian Airlines flight cancelled
Fewer than 2 in 10 Ethiopian claims we handle involve a cancellation, but on a long-haul trip it causes serious disruption.
You always choose between a refund and another routing, even through a different hub.
If you were leaving the EU and were told less than 14 days ahead.
| Notice | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more | None; refund or rebooking still due |
| 7–13 days | Due, unless rebooked to leave no more than 2 hours earlier and arrive within 4 hours of schedule |
| Under 7 days | Due, unless rebooked to leave no more than 1 hour earlier and arrive within 2 hours of schedule |
Big schedule changes. A Dublin–Addis Ababa flight brought forward or pushed back by many hours shortly before departure can count as a cancellation. Details on Ethiopian Airlines cancellation refunds.
Ethiopian Airlines overbooking
Almost 1 in 10 Ethiopian claims concern denied boarding. If you were refused a seat on an oversold flight with a confirmed ticket and on-time check-in, the €600 is due immediately, along with an alternative flight. Nothing is owed if a visa was missing or your passport had expired. Full guide on Ethiopian Airlines overbooking.
Strikes and Ethiopian flights
If Ethiopian's own pilots or crew stop work, the airline cannot plead extraordinary circumstances: the EU Court of Justice treats a strike by its own staff as part of its normal activity (case C-28/20). A strike by air traffic controllers or airport workers does release it from compensation, though not from care.
Ethiopian refused compensation? Recurring explanations
True for Addis Ababa–Europe. Wrong if you started in Dublin or Paris, even when the delay built up at the hub.
Faults are an ordinary airline risk. Only concealed manufacturing defects discovered by the maker or authorities are exempt.
EU Court of Justice, case C-549/07Managing connections at its own hub is the airline's job, unless it proves an extraordinary event.
Restrictions imposed by authorities for safety reasons are extraordinary, if they really hit your flight.
Ethiopian's network: what is covered and what is not
Ethiopian is a Star Alliance member and holds stakes in other African airlines such as ASKY, Malawi Airlines and Zambia Airways. Here is how the EU Regulation applies:
- covered: flights from Dublin, Paris, Brussels, Rome, Milan, Vienna, Geneva, Madrid and other EU airports, plus the onward leg on a single ticket
- not covered: flights from Addis Ababa to Europe
- not covered: flights within Africa or to Asia and the Americas booked separately
- handled under UK261 rather than EU rules: departures from London and Manchester
Claiming from Ethiopian Airlines: two routes
You can write directly through the "Support and feedback" page in the help section of ethiopianairlines.com, quoting Regulation 261/2004 and attaching your ticket.
No cost, but replies can be slow. If refused, contact the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed, or go to court.
Give us the flight details and an online signature; we do the rest, including formal demands and court action with our own lawyers. 25% + VAT only if you are paid; legal costs are ours even if we lose.
Already holding a rejection?
Send it over: Ethiopian often assesses the return flight instead of the outbound one, and that alone can reopen the case.
What you need
- Full itineraryThe ticket showing every leg, including the one after Addis Ababa.
- PassportsFor all travellers, children included.
- Proof of delay and costsNotifications, new boarding passes, hotel or meal receipts.
How long you have to claim
The time limit is set not by the Regulation but by national law where you bring the claim (EU Court of Justice, case C-139/11). A trip to Africa a couple of seasons ago may still qualify: check your flight date.
How long Ethiopian Airlines takes to pay
If Ethiopian accepts the claim, payment usually follows within a few weeks; if it resists, a formal demand and possible court case take a few months. You receive €417 for every €600 recovered.
Ethiopian lost or delayed luggage
With a change of planes in Addis Ababa, bags sometimes get left behind. Under the Montreal Convention, fill in a PIR at the airport and send a written claim within 7 days for damage or 21 days from delivery for delay.
Ethiopian Airlines contact details and flight status
- Head office
- Ethiopian Airlines Group, Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Complaints
- "Support and feedback" page on ethiopianairlines.com
- Loyalty programme
- ShebaMiles
- Flight status
- Ethiopian app or official website
Ryanair
Wizz Air
Vueling