Ryanair weather delay: are you owed compensation?
Short answer: Genuinely severe weather that makes a flight unsafe is one of the few things that can excuse Ryanair from compensation — but only for the flight it grounded, and only if Ryanair proves it. "Weather" is Ryanair's most overused rejection line. If your flight reached its final destination three hours or more late and the sky was calm, you may still be owed EUR 250–600 (EU, EEA or Ireland departures) or GBP 220–520 (UK departures). Either way, your right to meals and a hotel never disappears.
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Enter your route, date and type of disruption. We will check whether your case qualifies for a claim under EU 261/2004 or UK261.
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Choose the situation that applies to your flight:
When weather genuinely removes compensation
Weather can be an "extraordinary circumstance" under Article 5(3) of Regulation 261/2004. The Wallentin-Hermann (C-549/07) test is whether the event is inherent in the airline's normal activity and beyond its actual control. A closed runway in a storm, freezing fog below landing minima, or a snowbound airport all clear that bar — provided Ryanair also took all reasonable measures to limit the disruption.
But the exemption is flight-specific. Bad weather somewhere in Europe does not excuse every Ryanair delay that day. Ryanair must show the conditions hit your flight — its departure, route or arrival airport, at the relevant time — and that no reasonable rescheduling could have avoided a delay past three hours.
When Ryanair overuses the weather defence
Ryanair rejects a large share of first claims, and "adverse weather conditions" is a favourite line. Treat it as an opening position, not a verdict. Common weak defences:
- Weather that cleared hours earlier. A morning fog that lifted by 9am cannot explain a 4pm departure delay.
- Weather at a different airport. Storms over Stansted do not excuse a delay on a Dublin–Faro flight that never touched Stansted.
- Conditions other carriers flew through. If other Ryanair flights and rival airlines left the same airport in the same window, the weather was plainly operable.
- Routine winter operations. A little snow or a standard de-icing queue in January is normal operations, not an extraordinary event.
The knock-on delay argument
Ryanair's most common version is the knock-on delay: bad weather earlier in the day put the aircraft out of position, so your evening flight left late. This can be relevant, but it is not a free pass. Under Wallentin-Hermann, Ryanair must still show it took all reasonable measures to absorb the disruption. An airline that runs its fleet to the minute and then blames the last domino has a weak case.
Burden of proof sits with Ryanair
You do not have to disprove the weather. Once you show the flight arrived three or more hours late at the final destination — the threshold from Sturgeon (C-402/07), applied identically under UK261 — the airline must prove both the extraordinary circumstance and the reasonable measures. Pull the METAR/TAF for your airports and check whether other flights operated: widespread departures undercut the defence. A bare assertion of "weather" without METAR data, an airport-closure notice or a flow restriction is not proof. Make sure Ryanair is not really leaning on an ATC delay or a technical fault — a routine mechanical problem is not extraordinary (van der Lans C-257/14). Ask for the evidence in writing.
How much, and which regime
The regime turns on your departure airport. Leaving Dublin, Cork or any EU/EEA airport, it is EU261 in euros. Leaving Stansted, Manchester or any UK airport, it is UK261 in pounds.
| Distance to final destination | EU261 (EU/EEA/Ireland departure) | UK261 (UK departure) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | EUR 250 | GBP 220 |
| 1,500–3,500 km, and intra-EU over 1,500 km | EUR 400 | GBP 350 |
| Over 3,500 km | EUR 600 | GBP 520 |
Because Ryanair is short- and medium-haul, most weather claims sit in the first two bands. On a connecting booking, delay and distance are measured to your final destination, not the hub (Folkerts C-11/11). The operating carrier is liable (Wirth C-532/17): a Ryanair Group flight may be flown by Ryanair DAC, Malta Air, Buzz or Lauda — name the entity on your boarding pass.
Care is owed either way
Even when the weather genuinely was extraordinary and no compensation is due, your right to care under Article 9 still applies: meals and refreshments once the wait passes two hours, and a hotel plus transfers if you are stranded overnight — with no financial ceiling, as the Court held in McDonagh (C-12/11). If Ryanair left you to sort your own room and food, keep every receipt and reclaim it. See our right to care guide.
How ClaimWinger helps
ClaimWinger pulls the weather records, works out whether EU261 or UK261 applies, identifies the operating carrier and tests Ryanair's reason against the case law — no win, no fee. Start a delayed-flight claim, estimate it with the compensation calculator, or read the Ryanair compensation hub. Already turned down? See what to do when Ryanair rejects a claim.
FAQ — Frequently asked questions
Does bad weather automatically cancel my right to compensation?
No. Weather only exempts Ryanair if it was severe enough to be extraordinary, hit your specific flight, and Ryanair proves both that and its reasonable measures. A vague "weather" line is not proof.
Ryanair blamed weather but other flights left on time. Can I still claim?
Very likely yes. If other aircraft operated from the same airport in the same window, the conditions were workable and Ryanair's defence is weak. Note those departures and challenge the rejection.
The delay was caused by weather earlier in the day on another flight. Am I owed anything?
Possibly. Knock-on delays are not an automatic exemption — Ryanair must show it could not reasonably have recovered the schedule. Tightly packed rotations with no buffer often mean the claim still succeeds.
If the weather really was extraordinary, do I get nothing at all?
You still get care. Even with a valid exemption, Article 9 requires meals and, if needed, a hotel and transfers with no cost ceiling (McDonagh C-12/11). Keep your receipts.
My flight left Stansted — euros or pounds?
Pounds. A UK departure is covered by UK261 (GBP 220/350/520). A Dublin or other EU/EEA departure is covered by EU261 (EUR 250/400/600).
Sources
This guide reflects the legal position in 2026. Both EU261 and UK261 apply a three-hour arrival-delay threshold, with fixed compensation of EUR 250/400/600 or GBP 220/350/520; the EUR 300 figure exists only as the 50% reduction under Article 7(2). The proposed EU261 reform — including revised delay thresholds, a nine-month claim window and a 30-day airline response deadline — is a proposal, not yet in force. This is general information, not legal advice.