Strike affecting Norwich Airport on 28 August 2026: what EU air passenger rights law provides for

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Status of the disruption

Status
Announced
Period
28 August 2026 to 29 August 2026
Airports affected
NWI

This page was created on 25 August 2026. The figures come from the primary sources linked below and reflect their status on the retrieval date shown. Only your airline can tell you the current status of your specific flight.

In brief

Cancellations and delays are expected for Norwich Airport between 28 August 2026 and 29 August 2026. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies to all flights departing from an airport in the EU, and to flights from a non-EU country into the EU operated by an EU airline. It provides for two separate things. Care and assistance, together with a refund or re-routing, apply regardless of who is responsible for the disruption. A fixed compensation payment of between 250 and 600 euros, by contrast, is typically provided for only where no extraordinary circumstance applies. An air traffic control strike lies outside the airline's sphere of influence and is typically classified as an extraordinary circumstance. Whether the conditions are met in an individual case depends on the specific route, the actual delay on arrival and — for a cancellation — how much notice the airline gave.

Figures for this event

Every figure carries a primary source and a retrieval date.

Air traffic control strike

Air traffic control staff are not employed by the airline. Recital 14 of the Regulation expressly names strikes that affect the operation of an operating air carrier as a possible extraordinary circumstance — illustratively, and without any automatic consequence. In this constellation the Regulation typically provides that compensation may fall away where the airline proves that the cancellation or delay could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken (Article 5(3)). Care and assistance and the right to a refund or re-routing remain entirely unaffected by this question: they apply even where an extraordinary circumstance does exist.

What applies regardless of the cause

Care and assistance, and the right to a refund or re-routing, do not depend on who is responsible for the disruption. They apply even where an extraordinary circumstance exists.

Refund or re-routing

For a cancellation, Article 8 of the Regulation typically provides for three choices: a full refund of the ticket price within seven days, re-routing to the final destination at the earliest opportunity, or re-routing at a later date of the passenger's choosing, subject to seat availability. The choice belongs to the passenger, not to the airline. A voucher replaces the refund only where the passenger expressly agrees to it.

Care and assistance at the airport

From a certain waiting time onwards, Article 9 typically provides for meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the waiting time, plus two telephone calls or messages and — where a stay overnight or a stay in addition to the one intended becomes necessary — hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and that accommodation.

When care and assistance start to apply

Waiting time from which the Regulation provides for care and assistance, by flight distance
Flight distanceFrom a waiting time of
Up to 1,500 km2 hours
1,500 to 3,500 km, and all flights within the EU over 1,500 km3 hours
All other flights (between the EU and a non-EU country, over 3,500 km)4 hours

Where the airline offers nothing at the airport, the Regulation typically provides for expenses to be reimbursed against receipts, to the extent they were necessary, appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances (Court of Justice, judgment of 31 January 2013, Case C-12/11 — McDonagh v Ryanair). Keep the receipts.

Compensation: amounts and conditions

The Regulation provides for fixed amounts that depend solely on the flight distance — not on the ticket price.

Fixed amounts under the Regulation, by flight distance
Flight distanceAmount
Up to 1,500 km€250
1,500 to 3,500 km, and all flights within the EU over 1,500 km€400
All other flights (between the EU and a non-EU country, over 3,500 km)€600

Flights to the EU's outermost regions — such as Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, the Canary Islands, the Azores or Madeira — count as flights within the EU. The Regulation therefore provides €400 for them, even where the distance exceeds 3,500 km.

When the Regulation typically provides for compensation

  • For a cancellation: where the airline gave less than 14 days' notice and did not offer re-routing within the time windows set out in Article 5.
  • For a delay: where the flight reaches the final destination at least three hours late (Court of Justice, judgment of 19 November 2009, Joined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 — Sturgeon; confirmed by the judgment of 23 October 2012, Joined Cases C-581/10 and C-629/10 — Nelson).
  • For denied boarding despite a valid booking and timely presence at the check-in desk.
  • And in all cases: where no extraordinary circumstance applies that the airline could not have avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

Under Article 5(4) of the Regulation, the burden of proving whether and when a passenger was informed of a cancellation lies with the airline — not with the passenger.

Which flights the Regulation covers

The Regulation applies to all flights departing from an airport in the EU — regardless of which airline operates them. For flights from a non-EU country into the EU it applies where the operating airline is a Community carrier and the passengers did not already receive compensation and assistance in that non-EU country. Departures from the United Kingdom are covered by the UK successor regime, which sets its amounts in pounds.

What to do now

These steps apply regardless of how the cause is ultimately classified in law.

  1. Check the flight status directly with the airline and save the display as a screenshot showing the date and time.
  2. Ask for care and assistance at the airport. If nothing is offered, pay reasonable expenses yourself and keep every receipt.
  3. For a cancellation, expressly choose between a refund and re-routing, and record that decision in writing.
  4. Keep boarding passes, the booking confirmation and the airline's notification — these are the evidence for a later claim.
  5. Note the actual arrival time at the final destination: the three-hour threshold turns on arrival, not departure.
  6. Submit the claim to the airline in writing and set a deadline for a response.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Regulation provide for compensation in a strike?
That depends on who is striking. Where an airline's own staff strike, the Court of Justice of the European Union has held that, subject to certain conditions, this typically does not amount to an extraordinary circumstance (Case C-28/20 — Airhelp v SAS). Where staff who are not employed by the airline strike — air traffic control, for example — this is typically classified as an extraordinary circumstance, and the Regulation then typically does not provide for compensation. Care and assistance apply in both cases.
Does the airline have to provide meals even though it is not responsible for the strike?
Care and assistance under Article 9 do not depend on who is responsible for the disruption. The Court of Justice has held that this duty persists even in extraordinary circumstances and that the Regulation sets neither a time limit nor a financial ceiling for it (Case C-12/11 — McDonagh v Ryanair). Only costs that were necessary, appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances are reimbursed, however.
My flight was cancelled — refund or replacement flight?
Under Article 8 of the Regulation the choice belongs to the passenger, not to the airline. The options are a full refund of the ticket price within seven days, re-routing to the final destination at the earliest opportunity, and re-routing at a later date of the passenger's choosing, subject to seat availability. A voucher replaces the refund only with the passenger's express agreement.
How late does a flight have to be?
What counts is arrival at the final destination, not departure. From three hours' delay on arrival onwards, passengers are treated in the same way as passengers of cancelled flights for compensation purposes (Joined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 — Sturgeon; confirmed by C-581/10 and C-629/10 — Nelson). No claim arises where the airline proves that the delay was caused by an extraordinary circumstance.
How long can a claim be brought?
Time limits are set nationally and differ considerably. In Germany, claims generally become time-barred after three years running to the end of the year (sections 195 and 199 of the German Civil Code). Other EU states apply different periods; our deadlines page sets out an overview.
Does this also apply to a package holiday?
The Regulation applies regardless of whether the flight was booked on its own or as part of a package holiday. Claims against the tour operator may exist alongside it, for instance for a reduction of the package price.

Primary sources

What counts is the status on the retrieval date shown. This page is not kept updated after the event has ended.

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The information on this page is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. No liability is accepted for accuracy or completeness. For complex cases, we recommend consulting a lawyer.

The amounts shown correspond to the compensation rates set out in EU Regulation 261/2004. Whether and how much compensation is paid depends on the individual case and the airline's decision. ClaimEU261 creates complaint letters — enforcement and payment is the airline's responsibility. This is not an income or profit guarantee.