# UK261 explained: £220–£520 and the 3-hour rule

Source: https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/

> UK261 covers every flight from the UK and some arrivals, codified by SI 2023/1370 from 14 December 2023. Claim within 6 years in England and Wales.

# UK261: the UK flight compensation law explained

UK261 is Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it forms part of UK domestic law. It pays £220, £350 or £520 per passenger for a delay of three hours or more at arrival, a cancellation with short notice, or involuntary denied boarding. A delay or cancellation is excused only if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. Below: which flights it covers, the amount table, the eligibility test, how to claim, who enforces it and how long you have.

## What is UK261, and which version of the law applies in 2026?

SI 2023/1370 made UK261's delay-compensation rule, its extraordinary-circumstances definition and its limitation rule statutory, in force since 14 December 2023. UK261 is Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it forms part of UK domestic law under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. The current term is "assimilated law"; "retained EU law" is the older label.

Source: UK261 art. 6(3)-(4), art. 2(o), art. 3(9) (all inserted by SI 2023/1370); European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 s.3, s.6 - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

UK261 began as a copy of EU261, kept in UK law when the Brexit transition period ended on 31 December 2020. SI 2019/278, in force from that date, replaced euro amounts with pounds. SI 2023/1370 went further. It wrote the three-hour delay rule, the extraordinary-circumstances definition, the arrival-time rule, the connection rule and the limitation rule into the text itself rather than leaving them to case law.

Brexit also drew a line through CJEU case law. Under section 6 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, UK courts read unmodified parts of UK261 in line with CJEU rulings made before 31 December 2020, though the Supreme Court may depart from them. Later CJEU rulings do not bind UK courts and are persuasive only. In Lipton and another v BA Cityflyer Ltd [2024] UKSC 24, the Supreme Court held, 4-1 on this point, that a claim which accrued before 31 December 2020 runs on the unamended EU text under section 3 of that Act, not the 2019 pounds version. The decision binds courts in England and Wales.

Check the amendment date against your flight date only if it took off before 14 December 2023; anything since runs on the codified rules set out below.

## Which flights does UK261 cover?

3 routes fall under UK261: a flight departing a UK airport on any airline, a flight arriving in the UK on a UK or EU carrier, and a flight arriving in an EU country on a UK carrier. A single booking with a connection counts as one flight, measured from the first departure point.

Source: UK261 art. 3(1)(a) (as substituted by SI 2019/278), art. 3(1)(b), art. 3(1A) (inserted by SI 2023/1370), art. 2(m), 2(c) - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

Article 3(1)(b) covers flights from outside the UK, and only on named carriers. Into the UK, that means a Community or UK air carrier; into an EU state, a UK air carrier. Neither applies if the passenger already received compensation and assistance abroad. A UK air carrier holds a CAA operating licence; a Community carrier holds one from an EU state, both under Chapter II of Regulation 1008/2008. Article 3(1A), inserted by SI 2023/1370, treats a booked multi-leg flight as one flight from the first leg's departure point, so a third-country connection does not reset the regime.

That wording is asymmetric. Into the UK, a UK or an EU carrier brings the flight under UK261. Into the EU, only a UK carrier does; an EU carrier flying into the EU from outside falls under EU261 (Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, art. 3(1)(b)) instead. An EU carrier flying from an EU airport into the UK is caught by both: EU261 on departure under its article 3(1)(a), and UK261 on arrival, unless you already received compensation and assistance in the EU country you left. A non-UK, non-EU carrier flying into the UK from outside the EU is covered by neither.

Not your situation? A flight departing an EU airport falls under [EU261](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/), in euros; routes to, from or within Canada fall under the [Air Passenger Protection Regulations](https://airtravelrights.com/canada-appr/). Flying in the US? US federal rules differ - see the [US DOT hub](https://airtravelrights.com/us-dot/). Unsure which law fits? [Work it out here](https://airtravelrights.com/which-law-covers-my-flight/).

Trace your route against the three tests above; a UK carrier's code on the ticket is not proof by itself.

## How much compensation does UK261 pay?

£220, £350 or £520 per passenger is what UK261 pays, set by three distance bands under article 7(1) as substituted by SI 2019/278. The band follows the great-circle distance to your final destination, not the fare paid, once a delay reaches three hours, a cancellation lacks enough notice, or boarding is denied.

| Distance | Compensation |
|:--|:--|
| Up to 1,500 km | £220 |
| 1,500–3,500 km | £350 |
| Over 3,500 km | £520 |

Source: UK261 art. 7(1) (as substituted by SI 2019/278), art. 7(2), art. 7(4) - legislation.gov.uk; Civil Aviation Authority, Delays - caa.co.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

The amount is per passenger, not per booking: a family of four is owed four times its band's figure.

Distance is counted great-circle to your final destination. Since SI 2023/1370, article 7 names delays in that rule alongside cancellations and denied boarding. Article 7(2) lets an airline pay half to a passenger re-routed under article 8 whose replacement flight arrives no more than 2 hours late on the shortest band, 3 hours on the middle band or 4 hours on the longest. On flights over 3,500 km, the CAA applies the same cut to a plain delay: £260 per person for arriving between three and four hours late, £520 for more than four hours. Article 7(2) says "may": the cut is the airline's option, not automatic. Both cases, with a letter template, are on the [delay compensation page](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/flight-delay-compensation/).

Enter your route in the [compensation calculator](https://airtravelrights.com/compensation-calculator/) to see which of £220 / £350 / £520 applies before you claim.

## When does a delay, cancellation or denied boarding qualify?

Compensation is owed under UK261 when three conditions hold: your flight falls within scope, the disruption crosses a set trigger, and the cause is not [extraordinary circumstances](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/extraordinary-circumstances/). An arrival delay of 3 hours or more qualifies; a cancellation needs fewer than 14 days' notice with no compliant replacement offered; denied boarding qualifies immediately once it is involuntary.

Arrival time is fixed by article 2(n): the moment passengers are permitted to exit the aircraft, in practice a door opening, not wheels touching the runway. A flight taxiing twenty minutes after landing can still cross the three-hour line despite touching down inside it. The three-hour rule traces to Sturgeon (C-402/07 and C-432/07, 2009), where the CJEU held that a delay of three hours or more earns compensation under EU261. SI 2023/1370 wrote that rule into article 6(3)-(4). The [passenger rights glossary](https://airtravelrights.com/glossary/) defines arrival time and final destination side by side.

Cancellation eligibility runs on notice, not on the airline's reason. Two weeks or more before departure, no compensation is owed. Between two weeks and seven days, the airline owes nothing if it offers a replacement leaving no more than 2 hours early and landing less than 4 hours late. Inside seven days, the windows tighten to 1 hour early and less than 2 hours late. The burden of proving when it told you sits with the airline. Denied boarding works differently: the airline must call for volunteers first, and only involuntary denial triggers immediate article 7 compensation plus the article 8 and 9 duties. A refusal linked to disability or reduced mobility runs on a separate regulation, UK 1107/2006, covered in [special assistance when flying](https://airtravelrights.com/special-assistance-flight-rights-uk-eu/).

Do not confuse the compensation trigger with the right to care. Care starts earlier, at two, three or four hours by band, while the fixed amount needs a full three hours, a qualifying cancellation, or denied boarding. See the [delay-threshold comparison](https://airtravelrights.com/flight-delay-threshold-rules/) against EU261, Canada and the US.

Check the airline's own delay or cancellation message against these tests before assuming either way; log the exact time it gives you.

## What counts as extraordinary circumstances under UK261?

2 limbs define extraordinary circumstances under UK261's article 2(o): a cause not inherent in the airline's normal activity, beyond its actual control, that all reasonable measures could not avoid, or an unavoidable air traffic management decision. Extraordinary circumstances remove only the fixed compensation, never the airline's duty of care.

Source: UK261 art. 2(o), art. 5(3), art. 6(4) - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

The first limb needs three things together: the cause is not inherent in the airline's normal activity, it is beyond its actual control, and all reasonable measures still could not avoid it. The second limb covers an air traffic management decision that all reasonable measures could not avoid. Article 5(3) applies the same test to cancellations.

Technical faults usually fail the first limb. In Jet2.com Ltd v Huzar [2014] EWCA Civ 791, the Court of Appeal held an unforeseeable wiring defect was inherent in the airline's normal activity, so not extraordinary, even though maintenance could not have prevented it. The decision binds lower courts in England and Wales. An air traffic management decision can qualify even when it hits many flights at once. In Blanche v EasyJet Airline Company Ltd [2019] EWCA Civ 69, the Court of Appeal held that a thunderstorm-driven suspension of departures was deemed extraordinary under Recital 15 for the aircraft it affected. The airline still had to prove the causal link.

Extraordinary circumstances remove only the fixed article 7 payment. Meals, two free calls or emails and a hotel where an overnight stay is needed stay owed regardless, because articles 6(4) and 5(3) exempt compensation, not care.

Ask the airline in writing for the specific cause and the reasonable measures it took before accepting a rejection on these grounds; a bare "operational reasons" answer is not a legal basis on its own.

## How do you claim under UK261 without a claim company?

8 weeks of silence is when the CAA's ADR rules let you escalate, but claiming starts with a message you send yourself: your flight number and date, the delay or cancellation notice you got, and the amount from the distance-band table, citing article 6(3) or 5(1)(c) plus article 7. No solicitor is required.

Source: UK261 art. 5(1)(c), art. 6(3), art. 7, art. 8(1) - legislation.gov.uk; Civil Aviation Authority, Alternative Dispute Resolution for air passengers - caa.co.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

Use the airline's own online claim form if it has one; otherwise email or write, since a paper trail matters more than the channel. State your flight number, date, airport pair, delay or notice given, and the amount from the distance-band table rather than leaving the airline to work it out. A booking confirmation, boarding pass and any disruption message - screenshots included - are enough to open a claim.

If your flight was cancelled, UK261 gives you a separate article 8 choice between reimbursement within seven days and re-routing. Say which you want in the same message. On a [package holiday](https://airtravelrights.com/package-holiday-cancelled-delayed/), article 8(2) leaves the refund to the Package Travel Regulations 2018, claimed from the organiser, while the airline still owes the fixed sum. A refund ends further rebooking help and care for that flight, but the fixed compensation stays owed either way, since it depends on the cancellation, not which option you picked.

Claiming yourself needs no solicitor and no claims firm. The amount is fixed by article 7, so a company cannot win you a higher figure; it can only pursue the airline for a fee. A full claim letter template, addressed to article 6(3) for a delay or article 5(1)(c) for a cancellation, sits on the [delay and cancellation compensation page](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/flight-delay-compensation/).

Set a reminder for eight weeks after you send your claim: under the CAA's ADR conditions, that silence, or a rejection you disagree with, is what lets you escalate, covered next.

## Who enforces UK261: the CAA, ADR schemes or the courts?

2 CAA-approved ADR schemes handle UK261 disputes for their member airlines: AviationADR and CEDR. The CAA is UK261's designated enforcement body under article 16, but cannot force an airline to pay your individual claim; only an accepted ADR decision or a court judgment can.

Source: UK261 art. 16(1)-(2); SI 2005/975 reg. 5(1)-(4) - legislation.gov.uk; Civil Aviation Authority, Alternative Dispute Resolution for air passengers and Complaints about airlines or airports - caa.co.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

Article 16(1) makes the CAA the UK's enforcement body. Article 16(2) lets you complain to a designated body, and regulation 5 of SI 2005/975 names them: the CAA and, where their contract with your airline covers it, CEDR Services Limited and Consumer Dispute Resolution Limited, which trades as AviationADR. Since 6 April 2026, the ADR provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 have replaced the ADR Regulations 2015 as the legal basis for ADR. The CAA says passengers can keep using both schemes.

Complain first; after eight weeks of silence, or a disputed answer, take it to the scheme within twelve months of the airline's final response or last written communication, for an incident inside the last six years (five if you live in Scotland). It is free and most decisions land within three months. An accepted decision binds the airline; if you reject it, court stays open.

If your airline is not signed up to ADR, the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) can take up a valid complaint but cannot make a binding decision. The CAA can still enforce the law itself. In The Civil Aviation Authority v Ryanair DAC [2022] EWCA Civ 76, the Court of Appeal held that cancellations caused by the 2018 strikes of Ryanair's own staff over pay and conditions were not extraordinary circumstances, and upheld the CAA's enforcement order. The decision binds lower courts in England and Wales.

Check which scheme, if any, your airline belongs to: [British Airways](https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/british-airways/), [easyJet](https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/easyjet/), [Ryanair](https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/ryanair/) and [Jet2](https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/jet2/) each carry their current route on their own card; the full list is on the [ADR scheme guide](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/airline-adr-schemes/).

> Rather not chase ADR or court yourself? [AirHelp (third-party claim service)](https://airtravelrights.com/partner/airhelp?ref=atr-hb-uk261-m) takes on rejected or stalled UK261 claims, no win no fee, and keeps a fee from any payout; the free ADR route above stays open.

## How long do you have to claim under UK261?

6 years is the time limit in England and Wales, counted from the flight date: article 3(9) of UK261 applies section 9 of the Limitation Act 1980. Northern Ireland's statute also gives 6 years. Scotland has 5 years under the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, with no ruling yet on how it fits a UK261 claim.

Source: UK261 art. 3(9); Limitation Act 1980 s.9, s.5; Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 art. 4; Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 s.6, Sch. 1 - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

Article 3(9), inserted by SI 2023/1370, sends a UK261 claim to section 9 of the Limitation Act 1980: a sum owed under an enactment is barred six years after it accrues. Section 5 sets the same period for simple contract. In Northern Ireland, article 4 of the Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 and article 3(9) both lead to six years.

[The Montreal Convention's two-year bar](https://airtravelrights.com/montreal-convention/two-year-time-limit/) does not apply. In Dawson v Thomson Airways Ltd [2014] EWCA Civ 845, the Court of Appeal held that an EU261 delay claim falls outside the Montreal Convention and runs on section 9 of the Limitation Act 1980 in England and Wales. The decision binds lower courts there, and article 3(9) has since written the rule into UK261.

The Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 extinguishes an obligation after five continuous years with no relevant claim made or acknowledged. Schedule 1 lists paragraph 1(g) for contract and paragraph 1(h), inserted 28 February 2025, for payment under an enactment. No Scottish court has yet decided which of them, or article 3(9), governs a UK261 claim. Treat five years as the safe limit.

Work out which nation's courts your claim belongs in before relying on either figure, and if Scotland is even possibly in play, file inside five years, not six. Every regime's limitation period side by side is on the [flight compensation time limits](https://airtravelrights.com/flight-compensation-time-limits/) comparison ([Flight delay compensation uk](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/flight-delay-compensation/)).

**All guides in this topic**

- [Airline ADR in the UK: 8 weeks, then 12 months to file](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/airline-adr-schemes/) — AviationADR and CEDR decide most UK261 ADR cases free, within 3 months.
- [Airline ADR scheme list: CAA list checked 15 Sep 2026](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/airline-adr-map/) — Jet2 and Loganair are not on the CAA, AviationADR or CEDR lists; CEDR airlines must comply within 20 working days of your accepting a decision.
- [Airline changed your flight time? The 14-day rule (UK261)](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/flight-schedule-change/) — Under 14 days' notice? UK261 cancellation rules owe £220-£520 unless the new flight leaves up to 2 h early and lands under 4 h late (1 h/2 h inside 7 days).
- [Cancelled UK flight: refund within 7 days or re-routing](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/cancelled-flight-refund-voucher/) — A voucher only counts with your signed agreement under UK261 article 7(3); taking the refund still leaves £220-£520 compensation due if the cancellation qualifies.
- [Delayed 2 hours? Meals, hotel and calls under UK261](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/right-to-care-meals-hotels/) — Hotel owed when the new departure is the next day; at a 5-hour delay you can take a refund within 7 days.
- [Diverted flight compensation: 3 hours late at your airport](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/diverted-flight-compensation/) — The 3-hour test runs at the airport you booked; article 8(3) puts the transfer from an alternative airport serving the same area on the airline.
- [Extraordinary circumstances: which airline excuses hold up](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/extraordinary-circumstances/) — UK261's extraordinary-circumstances test, codified 14 December 2023, blocks only the compensation payment - care and re-routing stay owed.
- [Flight cancelled by a strike? UK261 staff vs ATC strikes](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/strike-flight-compensation/) — Own-staff strikes still pay £220-£520 under UK261 (Court of Appeal, 2022); 14 days' notice or more removes that, but care and refunds stay owed.
- [Suing an airline in small claims: 6 years, 5 in Scotland](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/small-claims-court/) — England and Wales small claims issue fees run from £35 to £455; Scotland's Simple Procedure form costs £23 or £127 from 1 April 2026, Northern Ireland £49 to £244.
- [UK airline complaints FY26: per million passengers (CAA)](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/airline-complaints/) — Rates compared only within AviationADR, CEDR or PACT; Wizz Air's 629 per million tops the AviationADR group.
- [UK261 delay compensation: £220, £350 or £520](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/flight-delay-compensation/) — UK261 owes £220-£520 per passenger for a 3-hour delay.
- [UK261 downgrade: 30-75% of that fare back](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/flight-downgrade-refund/) — 30%, 50% or 75% of the downgraded flight's fare, not the whole ticket, paid within 7 days.

> Still unpaid after ADR or a final refusal? [AirHelp (third-party claim service)](https://airtravelrights.com/partner/airhelp?ref=atr-hb-uk261-b) handles UK261 claims no win no fee, and keeps a fee from any payout; the airline's own claim form and free ADR stay open.

General information, not legal advice. For your specific case: contact the CAA, Citizens Advice or a solicitor.

## Sources

- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it forms part of UK law, arts. 2, 3, 5-9, 16 - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/261/contents), checked 2026-09-15.
- Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/278) - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/278/contents), checked 2026-09-15.
- European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, s.3 and s.6 - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/16/section/6), checked 2026-09-15.
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (EU text), art. 3(1) - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32004R0261), checked 2026-09-15.
- Aviation (Consumers) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/1370) - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/1370/made), checked 2026-09-15.
- Civil Aviation (Denied Boarding, Compensation and Assistance) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/975), reg. 5 - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/975/regulation/5), checked 2026-09-15.
- Limitation Act 1980, s.9 and s.5 - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/58/section/9), checked 2026-09-15.
- Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, art. 4 - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1989/1339/article/4), checked 2026-09-15.
- Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, s.6 and Sch. 1 - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1973/52/section/6), checked 2026-09-15.
- Civil Aviation Authority, Delays - [caa.co.uk](https://www.caa.co.uk/air-passengers/travel-problems-and-rights/flight-delays-and-cancellations/delays/), checked 2026-09-15.
- Civil Aviation Authority, Alternative Dispute Resolution for air passengers - [caa.co.uk](https://www.caa.co.uk/air-passengers/travel-problems-and-rights/travel-complaints/alternative-dispute-resolution/), checked 2026-09-15.
- Civil Aviation Authority, Complaints about airlines or airports - [caa.co.uk](https://www.caa.co.uk/about-us/make-a-report-or-complaint/make-a-complaint/complaints-about-airlines-or-airports/), checked 2026-09-15.
- Jet2.com Ltd v Huzar [2014] EWCA Civ 791, Court of Appeal - [caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk](https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/civ/2014/791).
- Dawson v Thomson Airways Ltd [2014] EWCA Civ 845, Court of Appeal - [caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk](https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/civ/2014/845).
- Blanche v EasyJet Airline Company Ltd [2019] EWCA Civ 69, Court of Appeal - [caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk](https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/civ/2019/69).
- The Civil Aviation Authority v Ryanair DAC [2022] EWCA Civ 76, Court of Appeal - [caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk](https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/civ/2022/76).
- Lipton and another v BA Cityflyer Ltd [2024] UKSC 24, UK Supreme Court - [caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk](https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/uksc/2024/24).
- Sturgeon, joined cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 (2009), CJEU - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62007CJ0402).