# Flight cancelled due to weather: what 4 regimes still owe

Source: https://airtravelrights.com/flight-cancelled-due-to-weather/

> A weather excuse leaves UK261 and EU261 care and a 7-day refund intact; APPR owes rebooking within 48 hours

# Flight cancelled or delayed due to weather: your rights by regime

Weather can take away fixed compensation, but in all 4 regimes on this page a refund route survives it. Under UK261 and EU261 the airline has to prove extraordinary circumstances, and care plus a refund or re-routing stay owed even when it does. Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations owe a refund or rebooking, with no compensation. US Department of Transportation rules owe a full refund when the airline cancels and you do not accept its alternative.

## Is bad weather an extraordinary circumstance under UK261 and EU261?

14 December 2023 is when UK261 gained a written definition of extraordinary circumstances, in article 2(o). EU261 article 5(3) names the defence but gives no definition in its operative text. Under both, bad weather excuses compensation only if the airline proves it caused your disruption and that all reasonable measures could not have avoided it.

Source: UK261 art. 2(o), codified by SI 2023/1370; EU261 art. 5(3) - legislation.gov.uk; eur-lex.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-15.

### UK261: weather and air traffic management decisions

Article 2(o) has two limbs. Limb one covers an event not inherent in the airline's normal activity, beyond its actual control, that all reasonable measures could not avoid. Limb two covers an air traffic management decision that all reasonable measures could not have avoided.

Blanche v EasyJet Airline Company Ltd [2019] EWCA Civ 69 concerned a suspension of departures because of thunderstorms. The Court of Appeal applied recital 15. Such an air traffic management decision is deemed extraordinary when it causes a long delay to a particular aircraft on a particular day. Its underlying cause does not matter, nor how many flights it hit. The airline must still prove the causal link. Blanche binds lower courts in England and Wales.

Fog, a snowstorm or a hurricane with no such decision behind it is tested under limb one. In Jet2.com Ltd v Huzar [2014] EWCA Civ 791, the Court of Appeal named freak weather only in passing, as an example of an event outside normal airline activity. That remark decides nothing about your flight.

### EU261: the carrier's burden

Article 5(3) lets the operating carrier refuse compensation only if it proves extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. A claim for compensation on a flight cancelled due to weather therefore turns on proof about your flight, not the forecast.

Ask the airline in writing which event it relies on, at which airport and at what time. The [UK261 extraordinary circumstances guide](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/extraordinary-circumstances/) decodes the other refusal wordings.

## Does weather that hit an earlier flight still excuse your delay?

2020 is the year the CJEU decided TAP Portugal (LE v. TAP) (C-74/19): an airline may rely on an extraordinary circumstance that hit an earlier flight it operated with the same aircraft only if a direct causal link runs to your disruption. The airline must also show it took all reasonable measures, re-routing included.

Source: TAP Portugal (LE v. TAP), C-74/19 (2020), operative part; Eglītis & Ratnieks, C-294/10 (2011) - eur-lex.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-15.

The facts were not about weather: the previous flight had [diverted](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/diverted-flight-compensation/) to disembark an unruly passenger. The test, though, covers any extraordinary circumstance that affected a previous flight operated by the same aircraft, so a storm at another airport can carry over to your departure as a knock-on delay.

Eglītis & Ratnieks (C-294/10, 2011) adds a planning duty. Under article 5(3), an airline has to plan reserve time so it can still operate once extraordinary circumstances end, and no single minimum applies to every carrier. Picture a thunderstorm that stops departures at the inbound airport from 10:00 to 11:00, and your flight leaves 6 hours late. The airline then has to explain why its reserve time could not absorb a one-hour stoppage.

Both rulings predate 2021, so they bind UK courts too. The chain holds only if the first event was itself extraordinary and the link to your flight is direct.

A refusal that says only "late inbound aircraft" or "previous rotation" names no first event. Ask in writing for the earlier flight number, what disrupted it, and how many minutes passed on to yours.

## How do you check whether weather really caused your disruption?

2 checks test a weather excuse before any escalation: the airport weather reports (METAR) for your scheduled departure window, and the airline's written answer naming the event, the airport and the time. Under UK261, 8 weeks without a reply opens alternative dispute resolution (ADR) if the airline belongs to a CAA-approved scheme.

Source: CAA, Alternative Dispute Resolution for air passengers - caa.co.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

The burden is not yours: under article 5(3) of both UK261 and EU261, the airline proves the extraordinary circumstances.

The check cuts both ways.

In a MoneySavingExpert Forum thread from September 2025, a poster whose brother's Amsterdam to [Bristol](https://airtravelrights.com/airports/bristol/) flight was "currently 5+ hours delayed" wrote: "Easyjet claim adverse weather in Bristol as the cause for this delay on this bright, sunny and calm day." Another poster, Ayr_Rage, replied with the METAR reports: "There was fog and low cloud from 0620 to 0950 local time". Ayr_Rage added: "There were several diversions in that period so the weather was below minimums at times." These are passenger reports. Sunshine at the time of posting said nothing about fog earlier that morning.

Under UK261, send your complaint to the airline first. File with ADR within 12 months of its final response, for an incident in the last 6 years (5 if you live in Scotland). ADR is free, and most decisions come within 3 months. A decision binds the airline once you accept it; if you do not, you can still go to court.

One MSE Forum poster, eskbanker, wrote in July 2025 that at AviationADR "substantially more detailed information was shared by the airline at that stage". That is one passenger's experience, not a rule. The [ADR schemes guide](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/airline-adr-schemes/) lists members.

Save the METAR lines with their UTC timestamps and attach them to your written complaint.

> If your flight falls under UK261 or EU261 and the weather excuse is disputed, because the reports show no weather event at your departure time or the airline cannot link an earlier flight to yours, [AirHelp (third-party claim service)](https://airtravelrights.com/partner/airhelp?ref=atr-gd-weather-m) can take the claim on, no win no fee, and keeps a fee from any payout. The free complaint and ADR route above stays open.

## What does the airline still owe you in a weather disruption?

2 obligations survive a valid weather excuse under UK261 and EU261: care under article 9 and, on a cancellation, a refund or re-routing under article 8. In McDonagh (C-12/11, 2013), the CJEU held that extraordinary circumstances, there the Eyjafjallajökull airspace closure, do not release airlines from the duty to provide care.

Source: EU261 arts. 5(1), 5(3), 6(1), 8, 9; UK261 arts. 5(3), 6(4), 8, 9; McDonagh, C-12/11 (2013) - eur-lex.europa.eu; legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

Care means meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the wait, two free calls or emails, and a hotel with transport when you have to stay overnight. On a delay, care starts at 2 hours or more on flights up to 1,500 km and 3 hours on longer ones up to 3,500 km (under EU261, also every intra-EU flight over 1,500 km). Beyond that, the line is 4 hours. From 5 hours you can ask for reimbursement under [article 8](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/cancelled-flight-refund-voucher/)(1)(a).

On a cancellation, you choose between reimbursement of the full ticket cost within 7 days and re-routing, either at the earliest opportunity or on a later date that suits you. McDonagh caps care you paid for yourself at amounts that are "necessary, appropriate and reasonable". UK261 articles 5(3) and 6(4) release the airline only from the article 7 payment, and McDonagh predates 2021, so it binds UK courts.

**What each regime still owes in a weather disruption**

| Regime (currency) | Fixed compensation after weather | Refund | Rebooking or re-routing | Meals and hotel while you wait |
|:--|:--|:--|:--|:--|
| UK261 (£) | None if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances; otherwise up to £520, set by distance | On a cancellation, or from a 5-hour delay: full ticket cost within 7 days | Earliest opportunity, or a later date that suits you | Owed: meals, 2 calls or emails, hotel and transport if overnight |
| EU261 (€) | None if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances; otherwise up to €600, set by distance | On a cancellation, or from a 5-hour delay: full ticket cost within 7 days | Earliest opportunity, or a later date that suits you | Owed, even during an airspace closure (McDonagh) |
| APPR (C$) | None where weather makes safe operation of the aircraft impossible | Unused portion, if no own or partner flight within 48 hours can be confirmed, or any time before a new booking is confirmed; paid within 30 days | After a 3-hour delay or a cancellation: own or partner carrier departing within 48 hours | Not required: section 14 food, drink and hotel duties apply only within the carrier's control, if you were told less than 12 hours before departure; status updates every 30 minutes |
| US DOT ($) | No federal requirement on domestic itineraries | Full refund of a canceled flight if you do not accept the alternative: 7 business days (credit card purchases), 20 calendar days (other payment methods) | Airline policy; dashboard rebooking commitments cover disruptions within the airline's control | Airline policy; hotel committed by 8 of 9 dashboard airlines for disruptions within the airline's control |

Weather changes one column in the UK261 and EU261 rows. In the APPR row, rebooking or a refund holds whatever the cause. In the US DOT row, only the refund does.

Source: UK261 and EU261 arts. 5-9; APPR s.10, s.13, s.14, s.18, s.18.2; 14 CFR 260.2, 260.6; DOT Cancellation and Delay Dashboard (11 Sep 2025) - legislation.gov.uk; eur-lex.europa.eu; laws-lois.justice.gc.ca; ecfr.gov; transportation.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

Keep every receipt and claim care costs in writing, apart from compensation. The [right to care guide](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/right-to-care-meals-hotels/) covers hotels and meals; the [compensation calculator](https://airtravelrights.com/compensation-calculator/) gives the amount if the excuse fails.

Paying for a hotel or a new ticket yourself? [Trip delay insurance vs airline duties](https://airtravelrights.com/trip-delay-insurance/) sets out who pays first.

## What does APPR give you for a weather disruption in Canada?

48 hours is the rebooking window when weather grounds a flight to, from or within Canada. Section 10(1)(c) of the Air Passenger Protection Regulations lists "meteorological conditions or natural disasters that make the safe operation of the aircraft impossible" as outside the carrier's control, so the carrier owes rebooking or a refund, and no compensation.

Source: Air Passenger Protection Regulations (SOR/2019-150), s.10(1)-(3), s.18(1)-(1.3), s.18.2 - laws-lois.justice.gc.ca, checked 2026-09-15.

After a delay of 3 hours or more, or a cancellation, the carrier must book you on the next available flight. That flight must be operated by the carrier or a partner and depart within 48 hours of your original departure time. If it cannot, you choose between a refund of the unused portion of the ticket and other arrangements. A [large carrier](https://airtravelrights.com/canada-appr/flight-delay-compensation/) then books any carrier, including from a nearby airport; a small carrier, its own or a partner's next flight. You can take the refund any time before a new reservation is confirmed, and it is due within 30 days.

Section 14 standards of treatment start after a 2-hour wait, but only for disruptions within the carrier's control, and only if you were told less than 12 hours before departure. What the carrier still owes is information: status updates every 30 minutes during a delay, until a new departure time is set or alternate arrangements are made.

The same list covers war or political instability, and knock-on disruptions count too. Under section 10(2), a disruption "directly attributable to an earlier delay or cancellation" outside the carrier's control is also outside its control "if that carrier took all reasonable measures to mitigate the impact of the earlier flight delay or cancellation".

In a Canadian Transportation Agency complaint, the disruption is presumed within the carrier's control unless the carrier proves otherwise (Canada Transportation Act s.85.07(2)). Doubt the weather reason? Claim from the carrier in writing before the first anniversary of the disruption, and file with the Agency if it is not resolved within 30 days. The [APPR guide](https://airtravelrights.com/canada-appr/) covers the other categories.

## What do US airlines owe after a weather cancellation?

14 CFR 260.6(a) gives a full refund of the fare, taxes and ancillary fees when a US airline cancels your flight and you do not accept its alternative. For domestic itineraries, the US Department of Transportation says airlines are not required to compensate passengers whose flights are delayed or canceled.

Source: 14 CFR 260.2, 260.6(a); DOT Fly Rights (last updated 26 Sep 2025) - ecfr.gov; transportation.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

The refund rule names no cause: under 14 CFR 260.2, a canceled flight is one published under a specific flight number at the time of sale and not operated. The refund is due in 3 cases: the airline offers no alternative, you reject the alternative, or you do not respond and do not fly. Silence is not acceptance.

Payment is due within 7 business days for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for cash, check, debit card or other payment methods. A travel credit replaces the refund only if you affirmatively accept it after being told of your refund right, and it must stay valid for at least 5 years. Until 7 Jul 2027, the DOT does not enforce the cancellation-refund rules where a flight is merely renumbered, you are rebooked on it, and there is no "significant change or delay".

Meals, hotels and rebooking come from airline commitments, not federal rights. The DOT's Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard lists them "for customers experiencing significant flight disruptions within the airline's control". On its detail page, last updated 11 Sep 2025, all 9 listed airlines show "No" for cash compensation, and every airline except Frontier commits to a hotel and ground transport. The DOT holds airlines to the promises in their customer service plans.

Reject any rebooking in writing if you want the refund, and ask the airline in writing whether it treats the cancellation as within its control. Tarmac limits are on the [US delayed and canceled flight rights page](https://airtravelrights.com/us-dot/delayed-canceled-flight-rights/).

General information, not legal advice. For your specific case: the CAA, a European Consumer Centre, the Canadian Transportation Agency or the US Department of Transportation.


## Sources

- UK261 (Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as amended), arts. 2, 5-9 - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/261/contents), checked 2026-09-15.
- The Aviation (Consumers) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/1370) - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/1370/made), checked 2026-09-15.
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, arts. 5-9 (EU text) - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32004R0261), checked 2026-09-15.
- CAA, Alternative Dispute Resolution - [caa.co.uk](https://www.caa.co.uk/air-passengers/travel-problems-and-rights/travel-complaints/alternative-dispute-resolution/), checked 2026-09-15.
- Blanche v EasyJet Airline Company Ltd [2019] EWCA Civ 69 - [caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk](https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/civ/2019/69).
- Jet2.com Ltd v Huzar [2014] EWCA Civ 791 - [caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk](https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/civ/2014/791).
- TAP Portugal (LE v. TAP), C-74/19 (2020) - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62019CJ0074).
- Eglītis & Ratnieks, C-294/10 (2011) - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62010CJ0294).
- McDonagh, C-12/11 (2013) - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62011CJ0012).
- Air Passenger Protection Regulations (SOR/2019-150) - [laws-lois.justice.gc.ca](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2019-150/FullText.html), checked 2026-09-15.
- Canada Transportation Act, s.85.07 - [laws-lois.justice.gc.ca](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-10.4/FullText.html), checked 2026-09-15.
- 14 CFR Part 260 (refunds) - [ecfr.gov](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-260), checked 2026-09-15.
- US DOT, Fly Rights - [transportation.gov](https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/fly-rights), checked 2026-09-15.
- US DOT, Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard - [transportation.gov](https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-cancellation-delay-dashboard), checked 2026-09-15.
- Federal Register 2026-13675 (renumbered flights) - [federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/07/2026-13675/airline-refunds-and-other-consumer-protections), checked 2026-09-15.