# SWISS delay compensation: €250–€600 under EU261

Source: https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/swiss/

> UK261 also covers SWISS flights leaving the UK: £220 to £520 per passenger.

# SWISS delay and cancellation compensation

€250 to €600 per passenger under EU261 is the SWISS compensation owed for reaching your final destination 3 hours or more late on a flight leaving Switzerland or an EU airport. No Swiss operating-licence list was found, so EU261 on flights into the EU or Switzerland is conditional, and UK261 on flights into the UK is not stated.

**Key facts: SWISS**

| Fact | Detail |
|:--|:--|
| Licence holders | Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. and Edelweiss Air AG: Swiss AOC holders (FOCA list, 10 June 2026); no FOCA operating-licence list found |
| Amounts | EU261 €250/€400/€600 (Swiss and EU departures); UK261 £220/£350/£520 (UK departures) |
| Arrivals | EU261 into the EU or Switzerland: conditional on confirming the Swiss licence; UK261 into the UK: not stated |
| Swiss enforcement body | Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), Passenger rights |
| ADR body on the CAA list | SWISS: Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr (Berlin), list checked 15 September 2026 |
| Claim page | [Compensation in the event of flight delay and cancellation](https://www.swiss.com/ch/en/fast-compensation), Google GB result, checked 15 September 2026 |
| Court deadline | UK261: 6 years England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland 5 years, untested. EU261: national law |

Source: EU261 arts. 1, 3, 7, 16 - eur-lex.europa.eu; EU-Switzerland Air Transport Agreement Annex - eur-lex.europa.eu; UK261 arts. 3, 7 - legislation.gov.uk; FOCA AOC list (10 June 2026) - bazl.admin.ch; CAA ADR list - caa.co.uk; Commission NEB list (27 August 2026), checked 2026-09-15.

## How much does SWISS pay under EU261 on flights from Swiss and EU airports?

€250, €400 or €600 per passenger is what SWISS or Edelweiss owe under EU261 when your flight leaves Switzerland or an EU airport and reaches its final destination 3 hours or more late, banded by great-circle distance, unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances.

| Distance to final destination | EU261 (€) |
|:--|:--|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 |
| 1,500-3,500 km | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | €600; €300 at the airline's option if the delay is under 4 hours |
| Between two Swiss or EU airports, over 1,500 km | €400 at any distance, no €300 step |

Source: EU261 art. 7 and Sturgeon para 63 - eur-lex.europa.eu; EU-Switzerland Air Transport Agreement Annex, Section 1 - eur-lex.europa.eu; Commission Guidelines C/2024/5687, fn 20 - eur-lex.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-15.

Switzerland is treated as a Member State for this rule: the Commission's guidelines state that EU261 "is applicable ... to Switzerland in accordance with the Agreement ... on Air Transport (1999)", whose Annex reads references to Member States as applying equally to Switzerland. From Zurich, Geneva or an EU airport, EU261 covers SWISS and Edelweiss whatever their licence.

In Sturgeon (joined cases C-402/07 and C-432/07, 2009), the Court of Justice held passengers reaching their final destination three hours or more late may claim article 7 compensation. Paragraph 63 lets the airline halve a long-haul payment while the delay stays "less than four hours"; from 4 hours 0 minutes, the full amount is due. That halving never applies between Switzerland and an EU airport over 1,500 km: Zurich to Athens, 1,639 km by our calculation, keeps its full €400 at 3 hours 40 minutes.

Note when you left the aircraft, then check the [compensation calculator](https://airtravelrights.com/compensation-calculator/?carrier=swiss), the [EU261 hub](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/) or the [EU261 delay guide](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/flight-delay-compensation/).

## When does EU261 cover SWISS flights into Europe, and when does UK261 apply?

2 Swiss AOC holders are covered here: Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. and Edelweiss Air AG. Departures are covered whatever the licence: EU261 from Switzerland or the EU, UK261 from the UK. EU261 on arrivals into the EU or Switzerland depends on confirming the Swiss licence; UK261 on arrivals into the UK is not stated.

**SWISS operating companies and what each regime covers**

| Company | AOC status | Departures from Switzerland/EU/UK | Arrivals into EU/Switzerland (EU261) | Arrivals into the UK (UK261) | Licence source |
|:--|:--|:--|:--|:--|:--|
| Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. (CH.AOC.BB.1006) | Swiss AOC holder; no FOCA operating-licence list found | Yes | Conditional - see below | Not stated | [FOCA AOC list](https://www.bazl.admin.ch/dam/de/sd-web/019TuiBwenwi/GM_INFO%20-%20List%20of%20AOC%20Holders%20Airplane%20-%20V7.pdf) |
| Edelweiss Air AG (CH.AOC.BB.1007) | Swiss AOC holder; no FOCA operating-licence list found | Yes | Conditional - see below | Not stated | [FOCA AOC list](https://www.bazl.admin.ch/dam/de/sd-web/019TuiBwenwi/GM_INFO%20-%20List%20of%20AOC%20Holders%20Airplane%20-%20V7.pdf) |

Source: EU261 arts. 1, 3 - eur-lex.europa.eu; UK261 art. 3 - legislation.gov.uk; FOCA GM/INFO List of AOC Holders Airplane V7 (10 June 2026) - bazl.admin.ch, checked 2026-09-15.

The FOCA list shows only an Air Operator Certificate, not the operating licence both regulations test. The EU-Switzerland Agreement's Annex extends "Community air carrier" to "an air carrier which is licensed and has its principal place of business ... in Switzerland" under Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008. If that licence is confirmed, EU261 covers a SWISS or Edelweiss flight arriving in the EU or Switzerland from a third country, unless you already received benefits or compensation and assistance in that country. For a UK arrival, UK261 article 3(1)(b)(i) requires a "Community carrier or a UK air carrier", and no source we read says whether a Swiss-licensed airline counts.

**Which rules apply to your SWISS flight**

| Your SWISS or Edelweiss flight | EU261 (€) | UK261 (£) |
|:--|:--|:--|
| From Switzerland or an EU airport, except to the UK | Yes | No |
| From Switzerland or an EU airport to the UK | Yes | Not stated |
| From a UK airport to Switzerland or the EU | Conditional | Yes |
| From a UK airport to anywhere else | No | Yes |
| From the US or another third country into Switzerland or the EU | Conditional | No |
| From a non-EU, non-Swiss, non-UK country into the UK | No | Not stated |
| Between two airports outside Switzerland, the EU and the UK | No | No |

"Conditional" needs a confirmed Swiss licence under the EU-Switzerland Agreement and falls away if you already received benefits or compensation and assistance in the country you left. "Not stated" means no source we read settles UK261 there.

### When does UK261 cover a SWISS flight?

| Distance to final destination | UK261 (£) |
|:--|:--|
| Up to 1,500 km | £220 |
| 1,500-3,500 km | £350 |
| Over 3,500 km | £520; £260 if you arrive between three and four hours late |

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

UK261 covers any SWISS or Edelweiss flight leaving a UK airport: article 3(1)(a) sets no carrier condition. London Heathrow to Zurich, 788 km by our great-circle calculation, pays £220 per passenger for arriving 3 hours or more late. The CAA's UK261 delay page does not say whether £260 or £520 applies at exactly 4 hours 0 minutes.

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

## How do you claim compensation from SWISS directly?

2 airlines share this card, and a claim has to pick one: SWISS or Edelweiss, whichever your booking names as the operator. Give each passenger's name, the flight number and date, the arrival delay or cancellation notice, and the amount claimed, in writing. The CAA's ADR clock counts from that letter.

Source: EU261 arts. 5, 7(3), 15(1) - eur-lex.europa.eu; UK261 art. 7(3) - legislation.gov.uk; CAA ADR page - caa.co.uk, checked 2026-09-15; Google GB results, 15 September 2026.

### Where is SWISS's claim page?

Google GB results for "swiss airlines compensation" on 15 September 2026 listed SWISS's [Compensation in the event of flight delay and cancellation](https://www.swiss.com/ch/en/fast-compensation) page. State the figure yourself rather than asking what it is: on Zurich to Athens, 1,639 km, that reads "EU261, article 7(1)(b), €400 per passenger".

Put the departure airport in your first line and name the operating company, Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. or Edelweiss Air AG. On a Swiss booking that is where the whole question sits: a Zurich, Geneva or EU departure is settled, while an arrival from a third country still rides on an operating licence the FOCA list does not show.

Ask in writing for payment by bank transfer, and keep a dated copy of the claim you send. A voucher is not the default: [EU261 fixes the form the money must take](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/).

## Which SWISS refusal reasons count as extraordinary circumstances?

2 questions decide a SWISS refusal, and neither is whether the airline sounded reasonable: what caused the disruption, and what SWISS did to avoid it. The burden of answering both sits with the airline. Sturgeon carries that same defence across to a delay of three hours or more.

Source: EU261 art. 5(3) - eur-lex.europa.eu; Wallentin-Hermann (C-549/07, 2008) operative part and paras 24-26 - eur-lex.europa.eu; UK261 arts. 2(o), 5(3), 6(4) - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

Technical faults are where most refusals sit, and [which of them clear article 2(o)](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/extraordinary-circumstances/) is set out separately, fault by fault, on the strength of Wallentin-Hermann (C-549/07, 2008).

That pre-2021 ruling binds UK courts, where UK261 article 2(o) now defines the test. A valid defence removes only "compensation in accordance with Article 7" (EU261 article 5(3); UK261 articles 5(3) and 6(4)): meals, hotel and re-routing stay owed.

### If SWISS rejects your claim

Check which regulation a refusal tested before arguing the cause. If SWISS cites only extraordinary circumstances, ask it to name the event and the reasonable measures taken. Keep the airline's final written reply and its date: the CAA's ADR page counts 12 months from it. See [when an airline refuses compensation](https://airtravelrights.com/airline-refused-compensation/).

## Where do you escalate a refused SWISS claim?

27 August 2026 is the update date of the European Commission list naming Switzerland's body among countries applying equivalent provisions: the Federal Office of Civil Aviation FOCA, Passenger rights. For a UK261 complaint, the CAA's ADR list, checked 15 September 2026, places SWISS under Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr (Berlin).

Source: EU261 art. 16 and Commission NEB list (27 August 2026) - transport.ec.europa.eu; CAA ADR page - caa.co.uk; UK261 art. 16 - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

Under EU261 article 16, each national enforcement body handles flights from its country's airports and flights into them from outside the EU; [Ireland](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/ireland-flight-compensation/)'s is the Irish Aviation Authority. UK261's enforcement body is the Civil Aviation Authority.

A passenger report on Boards.ie (June 2025) describes a 2023 SWISS booking from [Dublin](https://airtravelrights.com/airports/dublin/) to Luxembourg via Zurich that landed 7 hours 55 minutes late, after a delayed first leg and two cancelled replacement connections. Of the claims company the poster had used: "after regular updates, late 2024 they informed me that there was no response from Swiss and were ignoring them and would not be chasing up the case any further and were closing the case." Claiming directly, the poster was told by SWISS that the case was closed; the post reports no payment. A reply suggested the Irish Aviation Authority, since the journey started in Ireland.

The CAA's ADR page sets general conditions. Complain to the airline first. You may go to ADR if the airline has not responded within eight weeks. Submit within 12 months of its final response or last written communication. The list names SWISS; this page states no ADR body for Edelweiss. Read Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr's own rules before filing, and compare the [ADR scheme guide](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/airline-adr-schemes/) and [ADR map](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/airline-adr-map/).

> [AirHelp (third-party claim service)](https://airtravelrights.com/partner/airhelp?ref=atr-al-swiss-m) works no win no fee and keeps a fee from any payout; [SWISS's own claim page](https://www.swiss.com/ch/en/fast-compensation) and the enforcement bodies above stay open to you.

## How long do you have to claim against SWISS?

2 years is the safer assumption for a Swiss court claim against SWISS or Edelweiss: article 14 of the air transport ordinance sets that forfeiture period for carriage claims, against ten years for ordinary claims under article 127 of the Code of Obligations, and no federal ruling picks between them.

Source: Code of Obligations art. 127; Lufttransportverordnung (SR 748.411) art. 14 - fedlex.admin.ch; UK261 art. 3(9); Limitation Act 1980 s.9; NI Order 1989 art. 4; 1973 Act s.6 - legislation.gov.uk; Cuadrench Moré - eur-lex.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-18.

[Swiss civil procedure](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/claim-in-switzerland/) adds a step the English route has no equivalent of: an ordinary court expects a conciliation hearing first, separate from FOCA's complaint route. Budget for it when you count back from the two-year edge.

On the UK side, article 3(9) and section 9 of the Limitation Act 1980 give England and Wales six years from the flight date, and Northern Ireland's Order the same; Scotland's 1973 Act sets five, untested against UK261. Cuadrench Moré (C-139/11, 2012) is why each country answers this for itself.

Similar airlines: [Lufthansa](https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/lufthansa/), [Austrian Airlines](https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/austrian-airlines/) and [Brussels Airlines](https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/brussels-airlines/), also under Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr; [Eurowings](https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/eurowings/), German and Maltese licences. Other deadlines: [time limits](https://airtravelrights.com/flight-compensation-time-limits/) and [payout-times data](https://airtravelrights.com/data/airline-compensation-payout-times/).

> [AirHelp (third-party claim service)](https://airtravelrights.com/partner/airhelp?ref=atr-al-swiss-b) handles claims no win no fee and keeps a fee from any payout; [SWISS's own claim page](https://www.swiss.com/ch/en/fast-compensation) and a court claim in your own name stay open.

General information, not legal advice. For your case: the enforcement body for your flight (FOCA for a Swiss departure, your EU departure country's body, or the CAA for a UK departure), Citizens Advice or a solicitor.

## Sources

- EU261 (Regulation (EC) No 261/2004) - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32004R0261)
- EU-Switzerland Air Transport Agreement (consolidated) - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02002A0430(02)-20230715)
- Commission Interpretative Guidelines C/2024/5687 - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:C_202405687)
- Sturgeon, joined cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62007CJ0402)
- Wallentin-Hermann, C-549/07 - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62007CJ0549)
- Cuadrench Moré, C-139/11 - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62011CJ0139)
- UK261 and limitation statutes - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/261/contents), [Limitation Act 1980 s.9](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/58/section/9), [Limitation (NI) Order 1989 art. 4](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1989/1339/article/4), [Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 s.6](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1973/52/section/6)
- Swiss Code of Obligations art. 127 and Lufttransportverordnung (SR 748.411) art. 14 - [fedlex.admin.ch](https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/27/317_321_377/en)
- FOCA, GM/INFO List of AOC Holders Airplane V7 (10 June 2026) - [bazl.admin.ch](https://www.bazl.admin.ch/dam/de/sd-web/019TuiBwenwi/GM_INFO%20-%20List%20of%20AOC%20Holders%20Airplane%20-%20V7.pdf)
- European Commission, National Enforcement Bodies (updated 27 August 2026) - [transport.ec.europa.eu](https://transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download/d7b5dd33-4083-4faa-8132-b6dc8b3a1c07_en)
- CAA, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Delays - [caa.co.uk](https://www.caa.co.uk/air-passengers/travel-problems-and-rights/travel-complaints/alternative-dispute-resolution/), [Delays](https://www.caa.co.uk/air-passengers/travel-problems-and-rights/flight-delays-and-cancellations/delays/)