Ethiopian Airlines compensation amounts: EUR 600 or GBP 520
Ethiopian Airlines can owe up to EUR 600 per passenger on a qualifying EU-origin journey and up to GBP 520 on a qualifying UK-origin journey. These are long-distance maximums, not universal payments. First confirm territorial coverage, final arrival delay or cancellation timing, operating carrier and cause. An Ethiopian-operated flight starting in Africa normally earns neither amount merely because it lands in Europe.
Free eligibility check
Check your case in the form
Enter your route, date and type of disruption. We will check whether your case qualifies for a claim under EU 261/2004 or UK261.
What happened to your flight?
Claim up to €600 for a delayed or cancelled flight.
Choose the situation that applies to your flight:
Calculate the journey before selecting a currency. Mixing EU261 and UK261 in one demand makes an otherwise valid claim easier to reject.
Choose the legal system before the amount
EU261 applies to Ethiopian-operated departures from the EU or EEA. UK261 applies to Ethiopian-operated departures from the United Kingdom. The ordinary Ethiopian-operated return from Addis Ababa is outside both fixed schemes.
| First departure on affected booking | Usual fixed system | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Paris, Frankfurt, Rome, Brussels or another EU/EEA airport | EU261 | EUR |
| London or another UK airport | UK261 | GBP |
| Addis Ababa or another African airport | Neither merely from European destination | No automatic EUR/GBP amount |
For one continuous booking, measure from first departure to final destination. A Frankfurt-Addis Ababa-Nairobi itinerary can use the full journey distance. Separate tickets normally require separate calculations.
The coverage overview explains the initial filter.
EU261 bands for Ethiopian Airlines
| Protected journey distance | Standard amount per passenger |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | EUR 250 |
| Intra-EU over 1,500 km, or other journey from 1,500 to 3,500 km | EUR 400 |
| Other journey over 3,500 km | EUR 600 |
An Ethiopian-operated journey from an EU airport to Addis Ababa or a further African destination will commonly exceed 3,500 kilometres. Do not infer that from the brand alone: calculate the great-circle distance between the protected first origin and final destination.
For a long-delay claim, arrival must normally reach three hours. Article 7 permits a 50% reduction for long journeys when final delay falls within the applicable reduction window. In practice, an EU long-haul arrival between three and four hours late can be assessed at EUR 300, while a delay of four hours or more usually keeps EUR 600, subject to cause.
UK261 bands for Ethiopian Airlines
The current UK CAA figures are GBP 220 for short journeys, GBP 350 for medium journeys and GBP 520 for long journeys. Heathrow-Addis Ababa exceeds 3,500 kilometres.
| Final delay on a qualifying UK long journey | Amount per passenger |
|---|---|
| Under 3 hours | No fixed delay amount |
| 3 to 4 hours | GBP 260 |
| More than 4 hours | GBP 520 |
Cancellation uses notice and replacement timing rather than the delay table alone. A full or reduced amount can apply depending on when Ethiopian notified the passenger and when the alternative arrived. Read the Heathrow-Addis Ababa guide for the outbound UK case.
Calculate families and groups per passenger
Fixed compensation is not one payment per booking. Four eligible passengers on a covered EU long-haul journey can potentially claim 4 × EUR 600 = EUR 2,400. Three eligible passengers on a UK long-haul journey arriving more than four hours late can potentially claim 3 × GBP 520 = GBP 1,560.
Each traveller still needs a confirmed reservation and must meet the conditions. Children with paid or eligible public fares normally receive their own amount. A free infant without a reserved seat can require closer analysis. If group members were rerouted differently, calculate each person's final delay separately.
Ticket price and miles do not set the fixed figure
An inexpensive ticket can produce EUR 600 because the sum compensates qualifying loss of time, not the fare. Article 3(3) expressly includes tickets issued under frequent-flyer or commercial programmes available to the public.
A ShebaMiles redemption can therefore qualify. Refund of miles and taxes after cancellation remains a separate request. Do not convert the fixed amount into miles unless the passenger freely accepts an alternative payment. The ShebaMiles guide separates the accounts.
Cancellation amount and replacement timing
Notice at least 14 days before a covered departure normally removes fixed cancellation compensation. With seven to 14 days' notice, the amount depends on whether the proposed replacement leaves and arrives within the statutory margins. With less than seven days, tighter margins apply.
Save the first timestamped notice and original schedule. The date an agent later repeats the information does not replace the first provable communication. If Ethiopian alleges earlier notice, ask for delivery evidence linked to the address or telephone number in the booking.
Choosing rerouting does not automatically waive fixed compensation. Choosing reimbursement does not automatically create it either. Notice, replacement, cause and coverage remain separate tests.
Extraordinary circumstances can reduce the result to zero
Distance and delay can prove the amount band but not liability. Ethiopian can avoid fixed compensation by proving an extraordinary circumstance that caused the event and could not have been avoided with reasonable measures.
Severe weather or an external air-traffic restriction can qualify. Routine technical defects, crew planning and ordinary aircraft rotation usually remain within airline operations. A vague “operational” label is not enough. The rejected-claim guide shows what evidence to request.
Care costs remain separate even when fixed compensation is zero. Keep meal, hotel and transport receipts.
Do not double count connected sectors
On a single protected journey, distance is normally measured to the final destination and one fixed amount compensates the overall arrival disruption. A passenger does not automatically receive EUR 600 for the EU-Addis Ababa sector and another EUR 600 for the missed onward sector.
Separate disruption events on genuinely separate bookings can create separate analyses, but the same loss of time should not be repackaged. State the ticket, final destination and event for each demand.
A transparent calculation example
Two adults and one child travel Paris-Addis Ababa-Dar es Salaam under one Ethiopian booking. They arrive 6 hours 20 minutes late because an ordinary operational aircraft problem caused the missed connection. The journey began in the EU, exceeds 3,500 kilometres and has no proven extraordinary defence. Potential fixed compensation is 3 × EUR 600 = EUR 1,800.
They also spend EUR 96 on reasonable meals after no vouchers are offered. Claim EUR 1,800 fixed compensation and EUR 96 care expenses on separate lines. Do not call the total “three tickets refunded” because they completed the journey.
Evidence supporting the number
Retain the complete itinerary, operator, final arrival evidence, first cancellation notice if relevant and the reason communicated. For each passenger, list name, ticket number, eligibility and amount. Add a distance calculation if the band could be disputed.
Send one clear table through Ethiopian's Support and Feedback form and preserve the acknowledgement. The claim form guide provides the document sequence.
FAQ
Is EUR 600 available on every EU departure?
No. The journey must be in the longest band and meet event, timing and cause requirements. A reduction to EUR 300 can apply in the long-haul timing window.
Is GBP 520 due after exactly four hours?
The current CAA delay guidance states GBP 260 for three to four hours and GBP 520 when arrival is more than four hours late.
Does a family receive one payment?
No. Calculate the fixed amount for each eligible passenger, then add proven expenses separately.
Can an Addis Ababa-London delay earn GBP 520?
Normally not under UK261 when Ethiopian operates the African-origin journey, because Ethiopian is not a UK or EU carrier.
Does a low fare reduce compensation?
No. The statutory amount is distance- and disruption-based rather than a percentage of the fare.