Last updated: November 12, 2025
Flight delays or cancellations caused by strikes can severely affect your travel plans with little to no warning — and they’ve been on the rise over the past few years. Whether it’s a strike at the airport causing you to miss your flight or the airline crew walking out, the consequences are always the same: stress, chaos, and disrupted itineraries.
There is a silver lining, however: you could be financially compensated for your troubles! Let’s have a closer look at how airport and airline strikes differ and see when you can claim compensation for your flight disruption.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Distinguishing between airport and airline strikes will help you understand your passenger rights and know when you are entitled to compensation. We have summarized the most important information in the table below.
| Airport strike | Airline strike | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is striking? |
|
|
| Does the airline bear responsibility? | No | Yes |
| Alternative flight or refund | Yes | Yes |
| Compensation | No | Yes |
As we outlined in the table above, an airline strike could be a walkout by pilots, flight attendants, aircraft technicians, or catering staff. These strikes often happen spontaneously and are typically not approved by the unions. Airline employees mostly demand wage increases, fair working conditions, job, and pension security.
Some of the most recent cases of airline strikes include:
Strikes undertaken by airline staff are considered as extraordinary circumstances in some jurisdictions, but not in others. That means that whether the airline will pay compensation depends on what national laws apply to it.
As Ivaylo Danailov, SkyRefund's CEO, explains, “the European Court of Justice has previously ruled that strikes by airline staff are not automatically considered extraordinary, so each case must be assessed individually.”
This is why we advise passengers to submit their claims for compensation with a claims' agency in cases of airline strikes, such as SkyRefund. We will carry out an investigation into the reason for the strike to evaluate your claim.
If your flight is disrupted because of an airline strike, you might be eligible for compensation of up to €600 (£502). Your rights as a passenger are protected under several national and international laws.
One particular regulation of the European Union, EU261/2004, was designed to protect air passenger rights in case of airline strikes and to hold carriers accountable for assisting affected customers. Similarly, UK passengers can consult UK261, a mirror regulation created after Brexit that essentially guarantees the same rights in case of flight disruptions due to airline strikes.
It's important to note these regulations only apply to flights operated by EU/UK airlines or departing from an EU/UK airport. Any other flights could fall under the conditions of the Montreal convention, which could bring you some form of reimbursement.
We advise you to submit a compensation claim as soon as possible after your flight disruption. Waiting too long may give the airline the time to find a way to avoid responsibility and lead to a lengthy and complicated legal process.
Yes, you can claim compensation if your flight is disrupted because of an airline strike in some cases. As we mentioned, your eligibility for compensation depends on the case of the strike. But as a rule of thumb, you're eligible for compensation unless the airline can prove that it took all reasonable measures to avoid the disruption.
The compensation amounts range between €250 (£210) for short-haul flights and €600 (£502) for long-haul flights. A detailed breakdown is provided in the table below.
| 3+ hours | Distance | Example flight |
|---|---|---|
| €250 (£220) | Under 1,500 km | London → Paris (343 km) |
| €400 (£350) | 1,500 – 3,500 km | Edinburg → Berlin (1,730 km) |
| €400 (£350) | Over 3,500 km (in EU) | Lisbon → Stockholm (3,608 km) |
| €600 (£520) | Over 3,500 km (departing EU) | Frankfurt → New York (6,202 km) |
The amount of compensation depends on two factors: the flight distance and the reason for the disruption
Keep in mind that both EU261 and UK261 entitle you to compensation only when the reason for the disruption was within the carrier's control to prevent. Luckily, all airline strikes fall under the carrier's control.
If your flight gets cancelled due to airlines striking, the carrier is obliged to provide you with the choice of an alternative flight or a full refund of your ticket fare. If you choose to receive a full reimbursement, this payout will be completely independent of your EU261 rights and should not discourage you in any way to submit a claim for compensation.
In addition to a replacement flight or refund, the airline is obliged to accommodate passengers affected by a flight strike by providing meals and beverages, a hotel stay and transport from and to the airport where applicable. The right to care extends to all kinds of flight disruption, but airlines could try to neglect this obligation. It is therefore crucial that you be aware of your rights to demand what is lawfully yours.
The recent years saw a number of major European air hubs suspend their operations due to strike action. French, German, Greek, Italian, and UK airports were particularly impacted, as their staff often took part in larger, nationwide strikes.
An airport strike may be carried out by Air Traffic Controllers, ground and baggage handlers, security staff, maintenance and technical crews. A few of the most recent examples include:
Unfortunately, EU Regulation 261/2004 explicitly lists airport strikes, regardless of which staff they are performed by, as extraordinary circumstances. For air passengers, this means no right to compensation, since airlines cannot bear responsibility for airport staff actions.
However, our head of legal, Darina Kovacheva, explains that “EU/UK law says airlines must prove they did everything reasonably possible to mitigate delays or cancellations. If an airline fails to do that, compensation may still be owed”. So even in cases of airport strikes, you might still be able to claim flight compensation.
If your flight is affected by an airport strike, however, and you are stranded with no information of when you will be able to fly, EU261 guarantees you the right to assistance and care while you wait for the situation to be sorted out. The airline whose flight has been cancelled should provide food and drinks, transportation from and to the airport, and overnight accommodation if needed.
Tip from Ivaylo Danailov, CEO of SkyRefund: “Passengers remain entitled to essential assistance, including meals, refreshments, communication, and accommodation if necessary, during prolonged delays. We strongly advise all travellers to keep themselves informed about potential disruptions on the affected days.”
Keep in mind that most strike actions are usually announced a couple of days or sometimes even weeks in advance. That could allow you enough time to reorganize your plans and to make the necessary arrangements. We advise you to frequently check the airport’s and the airline’s websites, as information about possible disruptions could be published there.
If you find yourself affected by an airline or an airport strike, make sure to gather all relevant information, request a written explanation about your flight delay or cancellation, and know your rights. In the case of an airline strike, you might be eligible for compensation of up to €600 (£502) and the experienced lawyers at SkyRefund can help you obtain it.
UK and EU passengers alike can benefit from our multilingual customer support and global network of law experts. When you submit a compensation claim with us, your case will be handled with expertise and the utmost care. There are no hidden fees: you will only have to pay us if we successfully secure your compensation. If you have any questions or concerns regarding flights affected by airline or airport strikes, do not hesitate to contact our legal experts.
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