# Aer Lingus delay compensation: €250–€600 under EU261

Source: https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/aer-lingus/

> Aer Lingus is not on the CAA's ADR lists (checked Sept 2026), so UK261 claims of £220–£520

# Aer Lingus delay and cancellation compensation

Aer Lingus compensation is €250 to €600 per passenger under EU261 from Irish and other EU airports, and £220 to £520 under UK261 from UK airports, once you arrive three hours or more late. Three licensed companies operate its flights, and the one operating yours sets the arrival rules.

**Key facts: Aer Lingus**

| Fact | Detail |
|:--|:--|
| Operating companies and licences | Aer Lingus Limited and Emerald Airlines Ireland Limited: Community carriers (Ireland); Emerald Airlines UK Limited: UK air carrier |
| Amounts | €250-€600 under EU261; £220-£520 under UK261 |
| ADR scheme | Not among the members listed in the CAA ADR lists checked 15 Sep 2026; CAA PACT instead |
| Claim forms | [Requests & Enquiries on aerlingus.com](https://www.aerlingus.com/support/customer-care/requests-and-enquiries/), listed 14 Sep 2026 |
| Enforcement bodies | IAA (Irish airports, and flights into Ireland from outside the EU); CAA (UK airports) |
| Time limit to sue | 6 years (Ireland, England and Wales, Northern Ireland); 5 years in Scotland, an open point |

Source: EU261 and UK261 arts. 3(1), 7(1) - eur-lex.europa.eu, legislation.gov.uk; CAA licence and ADR lists - caa.co.uk; EC licence list; IAA - iaa.ie, checked 2026-09-15.

## How much does Aer Lingus pay under EU261 for a delay of 3 hours or more?

€250, €400 or €600 per passenger is the EU261 amount for an Aer Lingus flight that reaches its final destination three hours or more late, banded by distance. The same scale covers a cancellation with less than 14 days' notice, unless the airline offered a qualifying replacement flight or proves extraordinary circumstances.

| Distance to final destination | EU261 compensation |
|:--|:--|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 |
| Within the EU, over 1,500 km | €400 |
| Other flights, 1,500-3,500 km | €400 |
| Other flights, over 3,500 km | €600; the airline may pay €300 if the arrival delay is three hours or more but less than four |

Source: EU261 arts. 5(1)(c), 7(1)-(2); Sturgeon, C-402/07 and C-432/07, para 63 - eur-lex.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-15.

In Sturgeon (C-402/07 and C-432/07, 2009), the CJEU held that passengers arriving three hours or more late may claim article 7 compensation. Its paragraph 63 applies the article 7(2)(c) cut to delays with the word "may": €300 for three hours or more but less than four on a flight over 3,500 km that is not within the EU, €600 from 4 hours 0 minutes. A delayed intra-EU flight over 1,500 km stays at €400.

Cancellations carry a different cut. If a re-routed arrival does not exceed the original scheduled arrival by 2, 3 or 4 hours, by band, article 7(2) lets the airline halve the amount.

### What does UK261 pay on Aer Lingus flights from the UK?

£220, £350 or £520 is the UK261 scale on every Aer Lingus flight leaving a UK airport. UK261 has no intra-EU rule.

| Distance to final destination | UK261 compensation |
|:--|:--|
| Up to 1,500 km | £220 |
| 1,500-3,500 km | £350 |
| Over 3,500 km | £520, or £260 for a delay arriving between three and four hours late |

Source: UK261 arts. 2(n), 6(3), 7(1)-(2) - legislation.gov.uk; CAA, Delays - caa.co.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

Arrival means passengers may leave the aircraft: 2 hours 59 minutes late earns nothing, 3 hours 0 minutes qualifies. The £260 step comes from article 7(2), so it is the airline's option. The CAA's "between three and four hours" leaves exactly 4 hours unclear. Sturgeon, a pre-2021 ruling UK courts follow, says "less than four hours", which puts 4 hours 0 minutes at the full £520.

Find your band in the [compensation calculator](https://airtravelrights.com/compensation-calculator/?carrier=aer-lingus), then read the [EU261 hub](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/) and [EU261 delay compensation](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/flight-delay-compensation/).

## Which Aer Lingus company operated your flight, and which law covers it?

3 licensed companies fly under the Aer Lingus brand: Aer Lingus Limited, Emerald Airlines Ireland Limited and Emerald Airlines UK Limited. Departures are covered whichever one flew, EU261 from EU airports and UK261 from UK airports. Arrivals into the EU or the UK depend on the licence of the company operating your flight.

**Aer Lingus brand companies and their licences**

| Operating company | Licence status | EU261 into the EU | UK261 into the UK | Licence source |
|:--|:--|:--|:--|:--|
| Aer Lingus Limited | Community carrier (Ireland) | Yes | Yes | [EC list](https://transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download/7d7c51df-f11d-4a0c-815c-28a5ae4264b5_en?filename=eu_air_carriers_by_country_holding_an_active_operating_licence.pdf); [IAA](https://www.iaa.ie/commercial-aviation/airline-licensing/licence-holders) |
| Emerald Airlines Ireland Limited | Community carrier (Ireland) | Yes | Yes | [EC list](https://transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download/7d7c51df-f11d-4a0c-815c-28a5ae4264b5_en?filename=eu_air_carriers_by_country_holding_an_active_operating_licence.pdf); [IAA](https://www.iaa.ie/commercial-aviation/airline-licensing/licence-holders) |
| Emerald Airlines UK Limited | UK air carrier | No (UK261 applies instead) | Yes | [CAA list](https://www.caa.co.uk/commercial-industry/airlines/licensing/licence-types/airline-licence-holders/) |

Only an Emerald Airlines UK Limited flight loses EU261 cover on arrival in the EU.

Source: EU261 arts. 2(c), 3(1); UK261 arts. 2(c), 2(m), 3(1); EC licence list (data at 19 May 2026); Commission Interpretative Guidelines C/2024/5687, fn 20 - eur-lex.europa.eu; iaa.ie, caa.co.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

**Which rules apply to your Aer Lingus flight**

| Your route | Operated by Aer Lingus Limited or Emerald Airlines Ireland Limited | Operated by Emerald Airlines UK Limited |
|:--|:--|:--|
| UK to outside the EU | UK261 (£) | UK261 (£) |
| UK to the EU | UK261 (£); EU261 (€) on arrival | UK261 (£) |
| EU to the UK | EU261 (€); UK261 (£) on arrival | EU261 (€); UK261 (£) on arrival |
| EU to the EU | EU261 (€) | EU261 (€); UK261 (£) on arrival |
| EU to outside the UK and EU | EU261 (€) | EU261 (€) |
| Outside the UK and EU (such as the US) to the UK | UK261 (£) on arrival | UK261 (£) on arrival |
| Outside the UK and EU (such as the US) to the EU | EU261 (€) on arrival | UK261 (£) on arrival |

An "on arrival" entry falls away if you already received benefits or compensation and assistance in the country you flew from. Emerald Airlines UK Limited's UK261 arrival rule reaches the 27 EU states only, not Norway, Iceland or Switzerland. EU261 covers departures from those three countries on any airline. The [Irish Aviation Authority](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/ireland-flight-compensation/)'s example: a New York to Dublin delay is covered on Aer Lingus, not on American Airlines. No licence list ties routes to companies.

Not your situation? See the [Air Passenger Protection Regulations](https://airtravelrights.com/canada-appr/) for Canada and the [Montreal Convention](https://airtravelrights.com/montreal-convention/) for bags. Flying in the US? US federal rules differ: [US DOT rules](https://airtravelrights.com/us-dot/). Unsure? [Work it out here](https://airtravelrights.com/which-law-covers-my-flight/).

Copy the operating carrier's company name from your booking before you claim.

## How do you claim compensation from Aer Lingus directly?

Article 3(5) of EU261 puts the debt on the operating air carrier, so your Aer Lingus claim goes to the company named as operator on your booking, whoever sold the ticket. Send it to Aer Lingus, not to your travel agent or to the marketing carrier printed on the flight number.

Source: EU261 arts. 3(5) and 15(1) - eur-lex.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-15.

Terms and conditions cannot remove the payment: article 15(1) bars limiting or waiving these obligations by contract. How Aer Lingus has to pay you, and why a travel voucher needs your signature first, is set out in full on the [EU261 hub](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/).

Care is separate. Meals, two free calls or emails, and a hotel when the new departure is the next day are owed from a 2-hour departure delay on flights of 1,500 km or less, with later thresholds on longer flights.

### Where are the Aer Lingus claim and expense forms?

On 14 September 2026, Google UK search results listed the [Requests & Enquiries page](https://www.aerlingus.com/support/customer-care/requests-and-enquiries/) on aerlingus.com, along with two form pages titled "[Flight Disruption Compensation Claim Form](https://images.aerlingus.com/app/support/forms/flight-disruption-compensation-form)" and "[Flight Disruption Expenses Claim Form](https://images.aerlingus.com/app/support/forms/flight-disruption-expenses-form)". One title names compensation, the other expenses.

Send the compensation claim and your expense receipts through the form whose title matches each, and keep a copy of each submission.

## Which Aer Lingus refusal reasons count as extraordinary circumstances?

2 refusal phrases run through the Aer Lingus complaints a passenger posted to boards.ie in June 2025: "operational reasons" and "weather". Article 5(3) of EU261 leaves the proof of both the cause and the measures taken against it with the airline. The exemption removes article 7 compensation only - care, re-routing and a refund stay owed.

Source: EU261 art. 5(3) - eur-lex.europa.eu; UK261 art. 5(3) - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

A passenger report by duck_77 on boards.ie (Aviation & Aircraft forum, June 2025) reads: "flight cancelled 20 hours in advance… stated operational reasons but now denying (multiple cases raised and closed) the case and claiming weather!" The poster was still waiting for a resolution after raising it with the IAA.

"Operational reasons" names no event, and the proof sits with the airline. "Weather" names one, but the airline must still show how the weather caused your disruption and that all reasonable measures could not avoid it.

Ask Aer Lingus in writing for the event, its date and the measures taken, then test the answer against the [extraordinary circumstances guide](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/extraordinary-circumstances/).

## Where do you escalate a refused Aer Lingus claim?

8 weeks without a reply, or a final refusal, lets you take a UK261 complaint about Aer Lingus to the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT), because Aer Lingus is not among the members listed in the CAA ADR lists checked 15 September 2026. EU261 complaints about flights from Irish airports go to the Irish Aviation Authority.

Source: CAA ADR and PACT pages - caa.co.uk; EU261 art. 16 - eur-lex.europa.eu; IAA - iaa.ie; courts.ie, checked 2026-09-15.

PACT needs a written complaint to the airline first. It advises whether it thinks the complaint is valid and, if so, takes it up with the airline. It has no legal power to impose a solution, and it will not handle complaints with less than a year left to take legal action. Court stays open: see the [small claims court guide](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/small-claims-court/).

The IAA, Ireland's [National Enforcement Body](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/national-enforcement-bodies/), takes EU261 complaints through its MySRS portal. A flight from another EU country goes to that country's body; a New York to Dublin flight goes to the IAA as the arrival state.

The IAA lists three routes for an EU261 claim: Small Claims in the District Court, the European Small Claims Procedure, or a complaint to the enforcement body. Small Claims takes claims of €2,000 or less. Three passengers at €600 fit; a single claim for four at €600 each, €2,400, does not.

### If Aer Lingus rejects your claim

Reply in writing and ask for the event behind the refusal. Then escalate: the IAA for Irish departures, PACT for UK ones. The [ADR scheme guide](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/airline-adr-schemes/), [ADR membership map](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/airline-adr-map/) and [airline refused compensation](https://airtravelrights.com/airline-refused-compensation/) pages set out each route.

Keep the refusal email, and file your escalation with a copy attached.

> Refused for a reason that fails the tests above? [AirHelp (third-party claim service)](https://airtravelrights.com/partner/airhelp?ref=atr-al-aer-lingus-m) can take on rejected or ignored Aer Lingus claims, no win no fee, and keeps a fee from any payout; the [Aer Lingus compensation form](https://images.aerlingus.com/app/support/forms/flight-disruption-compensation-form), the IAA and PACT stay open.

## How long do you have to claim against Aer Lingus?

6 years is the time limit to sue Aer Lingus in Ireland under section 11 of the Statute of Limitations 1957, counted from the date the right to compensation accrued. England and Wales also allow 6 years, through article 3(9) of UK261 and section 9 of the Limitation Act 1980, and Northern Ireland's statute gives 6 years too.

Source: Statute of Limitations 1957 s.11 - revisedacts.lawreform.ie; UK261 art. 3(9); Limitation Act 1980 s.9; Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 art. 4; Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 s.6 - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

EU261 sets no deadline of its own. In Cuadrench Moré (C-139/11, 2012), the CJEU held that national limitation periods apply to EU261 claims. Where Irish limitation law governs an Aer Lingus EU261 claim, that period is the 6 years above.

Scotland's Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 sets 5 years. No Scottish court has yet decided whether that rule or article 3(9) governs a UK261 claim, so file inside 5 years if a Scottish court might hear yours.

PACT's one-year rule means a UK261 complaint from England and Wales must reach PACT before 5 years have passed.

A court claim names a company, not a brand: copy the operating carrier from your booking.

## How long does Aer Lingus take to pay compensation?

8 weeks is the wait before an unanswered UK261 claim against Aer Lingus can go to PACT, and a final refusal opens PACT at once. 7 days is the deadline to reimburse a ticket after a cancellation when you choose a refund. The payout-times dataset holds no Aer Lingus row built on 3 or more passenger reports.

Source: CAA, How the CAA can help - caa.co.uk; EU261 and UK261 arts. 6(1), 8(1); airtravelrights.com payout-times data, checked 2026-09-15.

A delay of 5 hours or more beyond scheduled departure gives the same refund choice.

PACT's own guideline runs about one week to assess, four weeks for the airline to respond, two more if challenged, and a final assessment five weeks after all information arrives. The CAA notes these timescales are currently longer.

Payout time is one of three clocks, with the [delay threshold rules](https://airtravelrights.com/flight-delay-threshold-rules/) and [compensation time limits](https://airtravelrights.com/flight-compensation-time-limits/); the [payout-times dataset](https://airtravelrights.com/data/airline-compensation-payout-times/) explains its method.

Compare Aer Lingus with [Ryanair](https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/ryanair/), whose group also splits across Irish and UK licences; [British Airways](https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/british-airways/), a UK air carrier listed with CEDR; and [United Airlines](https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/united-airlines/), a US carrier whose flights into the EU fall outside EU261.

General information, not legal advice. For your case, contact a European Consumer Centre, a solicitor, or the enforcement body of the country your flight left (the arrival country for a flight into the EU from outside).

Note your claim date, and escalate once 8 weeks pass without a response.

## Sources

- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (EU261), arts. 2, 3, 5, 7, 15, 16 - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32004R0261).
- UK261 (Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it forms part of UK law) and SI 2023/1370 - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/261/contents).
- Sturgeon, joined cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 (2009) - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62007CJ0402).
- Cuadrench Moré, C-139/11 (2012) - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62011CJ0139).
- European Commission, EU air carriers holding an active operating licence (ACOL data 19/05/2026) - [transport.ec.europa.eu](https://transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download/7d7c51df-f11d-4a0c-815c-28a5ae4264b5_en?filename=eu_air_carriers_by_country_holding_an_active_operating_licence.pdf).
- Commission Guidelines C/2024/5687 on EU261 - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:C_202405687).
- Irish Aviation Authority, Licence Holders - [iaa.ie](https://www.iaa.ie/commercial-aviation/airline-licensing/licence-holders).
- Civil Aviation Authority, Airline licence holders - [caa.co.uk](https://www.caa.co.uk/commercial-industry/airlines/licensing/licence-types/airline-licence-holders/).
- Irish Aviation Authority, Air passenger rights - [iaa.ie](https://www.iaa.ie/consumer-protection/air-passenger-rights); APR FAQs - [iaa.ie](https://www.iaa.ie/consumer-protection/air-passenger-rights/apr-faqs).
- Civil Aviation Authority, Alternative Dispute Resolution - [caa.co.uk](https://www.caa.co.uk/air-passengers/travel-problems-and-rights/travel-complaints/alternative-dispute-resolution/).
- Civil Aviation Authority, How the CAA can help (PACT) - [caa.co.uk](https://www.caa.co.uk/air-passengers/travel-problems-and-rights/travel-complaints/how-the-caa-can-help/).
- Civil Aviation Authority, Delays - [caa.co.uk](https://www.caa.co.uk/air-passengers/travel-problems-and-rights/flight-delays-and-cancellations/delays/).
- Courts Service, Small Claims - [courts.ie](https://www.courts.ie/hubs/small-claims).
- Statute of Limitations 1957, s.11 - [revisedacts.lawreform.ie](https://revisedacts.lawreform.ie/eli/1957/act/6/revised/en/html).
- Limitation Act 1980 s.9; Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 art. 4; Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 s.6 - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/58/section/9).
- Aer Lingus, Requests & Enquiries - [aerlingus.com](https://www.aerlingus.com/support/customer-care/requests-and-enquiries/).