Kenya Airways Paris-CDG-Nairobi compensation
A Kenya Airways flight departing Paris-Charles de Gaulle for Nairobi can qualify for EU261 compensation of up to EUR 600 per passenger. The KQ-operated return from Nairobi to Paris is normally outside EU261 because Kenya Airways is not an EU carrier. A through ticket from Paris via Nairobi to another African destination can remain protected until final arrival.
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 route and event using the complete reservation. Save CDG, the operator and all onward sectors; a KQ code on an Air France flight can change who should answer.
Paris direction and operator table
| Journey | Operator | Typical EU261 position |
|---|---|---|
| Paris-CDG to Nairobi | Kenya Airways | Covered EU departure |
| Paris-Nairobi-Zanzibar on one ticket | Kenya Airways | Coverage can extend to Zanzibar |
| Nairobi to Paris-CDG | Kenya Airways | Normally outside EU261 |
| Nairobi to Paris-CDG | Air France | Potential EU261 arrival coverage |
| Lyon-Paris on Air France, then KQ to Nairobi on one reservation | Mixed | Protected EU-origin journey; assign the disruption to the operator responsible |
The same ticket can have different coverage on the outbound and return. Do not assume a round trip is legally symmetrical.
EUR 600 delay test
Paris-Nairobi is in the over-3,500-km band. Arrival at least three hours late can generate fixed compensation. If the final delay is between three and four hours, Kenya Airways may reduce EUR 600 to EUR 300 under the long-distance rule. More than four hours can retain EUR 600.
For a connected booking, arrival at the final ticketed African airport controls. A two-hour-45-minute delay into Nairobi can become a seven-hour delay into Zanzibar after a missed KQ connection. Show the single reservation and actual arrival there.
Door opening is normally used rather than touchdown. CDG and Nairobi use different time zones and seasonal offsets, so make the calculation in one zone.
Cancellation from CDG
A protected passenger chooses cash reimbursement or alternative transport. If continuing, ask for the earliest reasonable final arrival, including Air France, KLM or another appropriate carrier where it materially improves the result.
Fixed compensation depends on notice and replacement timings. Notice at least 14 days before departure normally excludes the fixed sum. Shorter notice requires a precise comparison, and extraordinary circumstances can still provide a defence.
Taking rerouting does not waive EUR 600 automatically. Accepting a travel voucher is also not required; EU261 cash methods remain available unless the passenger signs agreement to a voucher.
Paris-Amsterdam routing details
Kenya Airways has published an expanded service pattern in which certain journeys between Nairobi, Paris and Amsterdam include both European airports. Do not assume every flight is nonstop or use an old flight number. Read the ticketed stops and current schedule for the actual date.
If the passenger is ticketed Paris-Amsterdam-Nairobi or an aircraft operates a commercial sector between CDG and AMS, identify where the passenger boarded, whether there was a change of aircraft and which destination appears on the booking. A stop that was not expected can affect delay calculation, but territorial scope still begins with the passenger's ticketed departure.
Use the official KQ route planner and airport records rather than relying on a historical timetable.
Air France codeshare
Kenya Airways sells European connections operated by Air France, and AF can place a code on KQ service. The operating carrier handles operational EU261 obligations.
If Air France cancels Lyon-CDG and the passenger misses KQ to Nairobi, AF is the first operational addressee for that event. If Kenya Airways cancels CDG-Nairobi, KQ is the addressee despite an AF marketing number. If a Nairobi-CDG arrival is operated by Air France, the EU-carrier arrival limb may apply.
Save the original “operated by” text and both flight numbers. Reissued tickets can hide the initial arrangement.
Care at Charles de Gaulle
For long-distance travel, the EU care threshold is normally four hours at departure. Kenya Airways should provide reasonable food, refreshments and communication. Overnight disruption requires hotel accommodation and transfer when necessary.
Extraordinary weather or an air traffic restriction can remove fixed compensation but not these care duties. If no direct assistance is offered, choose proportionate expenditure and preserve itemised receipts.
If rerouting leaves from Orly or another airport, ask KQ to address surface transport and sufficient transfer time. Record why the proposed route was or was not workable.
Evidence for a CDG claim
Keep:
- the original Paris departure itinerary;
- terminal and gate shown on the live travel documents;
- check-in and boarding proof;
- delay or cancellation notification with timestamp;
- KQ and partner rerouting options;
- final door-opening time in Nairobi or beyond;
- accommodation, meals and airport-transfer receipts;
- the Kenya Airways claim confirmation.
Terminal assignments can move. Do not rely on a static terminal statement for a future trip; use the boarding pass and official Paris airport information.
The EU departure guide explains scope, while the missed Nairobi connection guide covers onward African travel.
Claim and French escalation
Submit the EU261 demand through KQ's dedicated disruption portal. State Paris-CDG as initial departure, final destination, operator, arrival loss and EUR amount for each passenger. Attach expense evidence separately.
If KQ refuses or does not resolve the claim, use the current French national enforcement and dispute information relevant to the case. Court limitation follows competent national law; the future EU nine-month rule is not yet applicable on 15 August 2026.
Worked Paris connection example
A passenger holds Marseille-Paris-Nairobi-Mombasa under one reservation. Air France operates the first sector and Kenya Airways the next two. The Marseille flight arrives on time, but KQ cancels CDG-Nairobi and reroutes the traveller to Mombasa the following day. The EU-origin journey is protected, and Kenya Airways is the operating carrier responsible for the cancellation event.
The passenger should calculate fixed compensation to Mombasa, preserve the short-notice message and list the Paris hotel separately. Had Air France cancelled Marseille-Paris instead, the operational addressee would change even though the same KQ ticket number and final destination remained visible.
FAQ
Can Paris to Nairobi on Kenya Airways pay EUR 600?
Yes, a qualifying EU departure over 3,500 km can generate EUR 600 per eligible passenger.
Is Nairobi to Paris on Kenya Airways also covered?
Normally not, because KQ is a non-EU carrier operating from a third country.
Does an onward Zanzibar connection count?
It can when Paris-Nairobi-Zanzibar was issued as one continuous reservation.
What if Air France operated the flight?
Direct the operational claim to Air France and reassess incoming coverage because AF is an EU carrier.
Does weather remove meal and hotel rights?
No. On a protected departure, reasonable care remains due even when extraordinary weather defeats the fixed sum.