Ryanair compensation: your EU261 and UK261 rights (2026)

If your Ryanair flight is delayed, cancelled, or overbooked, you may be owed a fixed cash payment per passenger — EUR 250, 400, or 600 under EU Regulation 261/2004 (EU261), or GBP 220, 350, or 520 under the UK's retained version (UK261) — on top of any refund or rebooking.

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Short answer: the regime depends on where your flight took off — an EU/EEA departure (including every Ireland departure) is EU261, in euros; a UK departure is UK261, in sterling. If you reach your final destination three or more hours late, are denied boarding, or your flight is cancelled at short notice, Ryanair owes compensation by distance unless it proves a genuine extraordinary circumstance — and it rejects a large share of first claims, so expect to push back.

When Ryanair owes you compensation

Ryanair is Europe's largest airline, carrying roughly 180-190 million passengers a year — with a corresponding stream of delays, cancellations, and rejected valid claims.

Compensation is due in three situations: a long delay (three or more hours late at your final destination), a cancellation at short notice, or denied boarding because a flight was oversold. In each case a fixed cash sum applies, separate from your right to a refund or a replacement flight. The airline's one escape route is proving that an extraordinary circumstance caused the disruption.

One point trips people up: the airline that actually operated your flight is the one liable to pay (C-532/17, Wirth). Ryanair Group flights are flown by several carriers — Ryanair DAC, Malta Air, Buzz, and Lauda — so check which entity operated your leg before you claim.

EU261 or UK261: which one applies

Because Ryanair flies so heavily between the UK, Ireland, and the rest of Europe, the same route can fall under different rules each way. Work it out by departure airport:

Departing an EU/EEA airport (any airline): EU261 applies, amounts in euros. Every flight leaving Ireland — Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Knock — is EU261.
Departing a UK airport: UK261 applies, amounts in sterling, enforced by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
Arriving in the EU from a non-EU country on an EU carrier: EU261 also applies. Ryanair's operating carriers are all EU-based, so a flight into the EU from, say, Morocco, Israel, or Jordan is covered even though it departs outside the EU.

So a Ryanair Dublin-Stansted flight is EU261 (euros); the Stansted-Dublin return is UK261 (sterling). Our UK261 vs EU261 for Ryanair guide, the general UK261 vs EU261 comparison, and the Ryanair UK flights guide cover the split and sterling claims in detail.

How much: the compensation bands

The amount depends on the distance to your final destination, not what you paid — a cheap fare and a full-price seat attract the same sum.

Distance to final destination	EU261	UK261	Typical Ryanair routes
Up to 1,500 km	EUR 250	GBP 220	Dublin-London, Dublin-Manchester, London-Milan, most UK/Ireland hops
1,500-3,500 km (and any intra-EU flight over 1,500 km)	EUR 400	GBP 350	Dublin-Faro, London-Athens, Dublin-Malaga, Stansted-Tenerife
Over 3,500 km	EUR 600	GBP 520	Uncommon; only Ryanair's longest routes, e.g. to Jordan

Because Ryanair is a short- and medium-haul airline, the EUR 250/GBP 220 and EUR 400/GBP 350 bands cover most claims; the EUR 600/GBP 520 band is rare, applying only on its longest routes — see the Ryanair EUR 600 guide. Under Article 7(2), the airline can halve the payment (for example EUR 300 instead of EUR 600) if it reroutes you to arrive within a set window of your original arrival. Check your figure with our flight compensation calculator or the Ryanair calculator.

Delays, cancellations and denied boarding

Delayed flights

Following C-402/07 (Sturgeon), a long delay is treated like a cancellation for compensation once you land three or more hours late at your final destination. The clock that counts is arrival, not departure: a flight that leaves four hours late but lands 2h50 late usually falls short. Separately, Article 9 gives a right to care — meals, refreshments, and a hotel if you are stranded overnight. See the Ryanair delayed-flight guide and the three-hour rule explained.

Cancelled flights

If Ryanair cancels, you can choose between a full refund and rerouting, and you keep the right to care. Cash compensation is also due unless the airline gave enough notice or rebooked you close to your original times. Under Article 5(1)(c)(iii), notice of less than seven days with a reroute leaving no more than one hour early and arriving under two hours late means no compensation; with 7-14 days' notice the window is two hours early and four hours late. Full detail is in the Ryanair cancelled-flight guide.

Denied boarding and overbooking

If you are bumped against your will after checking in on time with a valid booking, compensation is due immediately — no delay threshold to clear — plus a refund or rerouting. Ryanair must ask for volunteers first; our denied-boarding guide explains the process.

Extraordinary circumstances and Ryanair strikes

Ryanair does not have to pay if it proves the disruption was caused by an extraordinary circumstance that could not have been avoided even with all reasonable measures. Qualifying events include severe weather, air-traffic-control restrictions, and political instability. But the bar is high: routine technical faults generally do not count (C-549/07 Wallentin-Hermann), nor does a component that fails unexpectedly in normal operation (C-257/14 van der Lans).

Strikes are where Ryanair claims are most often wrongly rejected. In C-28/20 (Airhelp v SAS) the Court of Justice held that a strike by an airline's own staff is part of its normal activity and is not an extraordinary circumstance — so a flight grounded by Ryanair's own pilots or cabin crew usually still owes compensation, even if the cancellation notice says otherwise. Strikes by third parties — air-traffic controllers, airport security, ground handlers — may qualify. And even during a genuinely extraordinary event, the duty to feed and house stranded passengers continues without a cap (C-12/11 McDonagh).

Connections: your final destination governs

On a single booking, what matters is the arrival delay at your final destination and the total distance to it — not the leg that went wrong (C-11/11, Folkerts). This matters less on Ryanair, which sells point-to-point and does not guarantee self-transfer connections; if you booked two separate flights, each is assessed on its own.

Baggage: a separate regime

Lost, damaged, or delayed baggage is governed by the Montreal Convention, not EU261 or UK261, with liability capped at roughly 1,519 SDR per passenger (in force since 28 December 2024). File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the airport, then a written claim within 7 days for damage or 21 days for delay. Montreal claims carry a strict two-year time bar.

How to claim — and how to push back

Start directly with Ryanair. Gather your booking reference, boarding passes, and evidence of the actual arrival time, then submit a written claim stating the amount and legal basis. Our how-to-claim guide and claim-form walkthrough cover the wording.

Expect friction. Ryanair rejects many first claims, often citing "operational reasons" or an extraordinary circumstance without evidence. If the reason is vague, or is a crew strike or routine technical fault, reply in writing and insist on payment. The rejected-claim guide explains the next move.

Booked through an online travel agent? Ryanair usually will not pay out until it verifies your identity and payment details through a myRyanair account. Set one up early, or the claim can stall regardless of its merits.

ClaimWinger can handle the whole process on a no-win, no-fee basis: no upfront cost, and a commission only if your claim succeeds. If Ryanair has delayed, cancelled, or bumped you, start with our delayed-flight or cancelled-flight check and we will assess it for free.

Where to escalate

If Ryanair does not resolve the claim, escalate to the relevant enforcement body: the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for UK departures, the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR, aviationreg.ie) for Ireland, or the national enforcement body of the EU state you left. You may also sue: under C-204/08 (Rehder) you can generally bring a claim at either the departure or the arrival airport.

Time limits

There is no single universal deadline. The period to bring a court claim depends on the jurisdiction — in Ireland generally six years, in the UK six years (five in Scotland), and other EU states set their own limits. Do not assume one figure applies everywhere; check your route and act promptly. Our time-limit guide breaks this down. A separate July 2026 EU reform — proposing a nine-month claim window and a 30-day airline response deadline — is only a proposal, not yet in force. If Ryanair offers a voucher instead of a refund, you can insist on cash.

FAQ — Frequently asked questions

Do I still get paid if a Ryanair strike caused the cancellation?

Usually yes. A strike by Ryanair's own pilots or cabin crew is not an extraordinary circumstance (C-28/20 Airhelp v SAS), so compensation is normally still due. A strike by third parties, such as air-traffic controllers, may be treated differently.

My Ryanair flight left the UK — do I claim in euros or pounds?

In pounds. A flight departing a UK airport falls under UK261, so the amounts are GBP 220, 350, or 520 by distance, and the UK Civil Aviation Authority is the enforcement body. A flight leaving an EU or Irish airport is EU261, in euros.

How much is a Ryanair delay worth?

EUR 250 or GBP 220 up to 1,500 km, EUR 400 or GBP 350 for 1,500-3,500 km (and any intra-EU flight over 1,500 km), and EUR 600 or GBP 520 over 3,500 km — payable when you arrive three or more hours late, whatever the fare cost.

I booked my Ryanair flight through a travel agent. Why is my claim stuck?

Ryanair generally will not pay out on a claim tied to a third-party booking until you verify your identity and payment details through a myRyanair account. Set that up and complete verification, and the claim can proceed on its merits.

Is delayed or lost baggage part of a compensation claim?

No. Baggage is handled under the Montreal Convention (liability around 1,519 SDR), separate from EU261 and UK261. File a PIR at the airport, claim within 7 days for damage or 21 days for delay, and note the two-year time bar.

Related Ryanair guides

For a specific question, these guides go deeper.

Delays, cancellations and denied boarding

Extraordinary circumstances

Re-routing, refunds and care

How much, claiming and getting paid

UK261 vs EU261

Baggage (Montreal Convention)

By airport

Sources

This guide reflects the legal position in 2026: the three-hour arrival threshold and the EUR 250/400/600 and GBP 220/350/520 amounts remain in force, and the proposed EU261 reform is not yet law. It is general information, not legal advice; verify the current position for your flight.