Is airport strike an extraordinary circumstance?

Passengers may be entitled to compensation during strikes. Strikes must not be considered extraordinary circumstances. The airline is responsible for providing assistance during delays.



In the context of EU/UK 261 compensation in 2026, whether a strike is an "extraordinary circumstance" depends on who is striking. If the strike involves the airline's own staff (pilots, cabin crew, or airline-employed engineers), it is not considered an extraordinary circumstance; the airline is deemed responsible for its labor relations and must pay compensation for delays over 3 hours. However, if the strike involves third parties over which the airline has no control—such as airport security, air traffic controllers (ATC), or ground handlers not employed by the airline—it is classified as an extraordinary circumstance. In these cases, you are not entitled to the cash compensation (up to €600), but the airline is still legally obligated to provide "Duty of Care," including meals, refreshments, and hotel accommodation if an overnight stay becomes necessary.

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If the requirements for a compensation are met, Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 obligates the operating carrier to offer each passenger a lump-sum payment of: €250, in the case of a type 1 flight; €400, in the case of a type 2 flight; €600, in the case of a type 3 flight.

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Travel insurance can cover delay and cancellation caused by strikes. It's a good idea to buy your travel insurance as soon as you've purchased your flights, because if a strike is announced later, you could be protected.

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The good news is most travel insurance policies include coverage if an unannounced strike causes havoc to your travel plans.

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U.S. airlines are not required to offer compensation for delays outside their control, like severe weather or air traffic control issues. And policies vary from airline to airline when it comes to delays caused by controllable issues like maintenance problems and staffing shortages.

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Claim compensation for a cancelled flight You're legally entitled to get compensation if the cancellation is the airline's responsibility and both the following apply: the replacement flight delays your arrival by 2 or more hours. your flight was cancelled less than 14 days before departure.

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An extraordinary circumstance is essentially an event causing a delay that's outside of the airline's control and generally unforeseen. The most commonly encountered extraordinary circumstance is bad weather.

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The most common covered reason is unforeseen illness, injury, or death of the traveler, a traveling companion, or a non-traveling family member. Other common covered reasons include terrorism, inclement weather, or a natural disaster, among others. Trip Cancellation is a major concern for most travelers.

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While airline staff strikes are within the control of the airline, all other strikes are considered extraordinary circumstances.

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If departing from a non-member country, the airline must be licensed in a Member State. The EU recently expanded this rule to include flights departing from the EU to the U.S. and some other countries, and even connecting flights within the U.S. operated by U.S. partners of EU airlines.

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In that case, you are covered by EU legislation under European Regulation EU261, which covers passengers who have experienced a flight delay or cancellation or have been denied boarding due to overbooking. If your flight qualifies, an airline may be required to pay up to $700 in compensation under this law.

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