When a strike hits, airlines usually say the same thing: industrial action is outside our control, so no compensation. Sometimes that's right. Often it isn't. It depends on whose staff went on strike.
RIGHTS
Flight cancelled by a strike? When you can claim
Airline staff strike or air traffic control strike? Which strikes mean compensation and which don't, what the courts say, and what you're owed.
We deal with the airline for you
- Flights from the last 6 years
- Every UK and EU airline
- No win, no fee
On this page
- Do I get compensation if my flight is cancelled because of a strike?
- Why is a strike by the airline's own staff not "extraordinary"?
- Why don't air traffic control strikes count?
- What about strikes by an airline's contractors?
- How much compensation for a strike cancellation?
- What am I owed even if the strike is extraordinary?
- What should I keep if my flight is hit by a strike?
- What does the airline usually say?
- Frequently asked questions
Do I get compensation if my flight is cancelled because of a strike?
It depends on who was striking.
| Who went on strike | Compensation usually due? |
|---|---|
| The airline's own pilots, cabin crew or engineers | Yes, in most cases |
| Air traffic controllers | Usually not |
| Airport staff (security, baggage, border) not employed by the airline | Usually not |
Whichever it was, you still have the right to a refund or a new flight, and to meals and a hotel while you wait. More on that below.
The other normal conditions still apply. For a cancellation, you must have been told less than 14 days before departure. For a delay, you must have arrived three hours or more late.
Why is a strike by the airline's own staff not "extraordinary"?
Because the airline employs those people, negotiates with them, and decides how to respond to their demands. A dispute over pay or conditions is part of running an airline.
Two decisions of the EU Court of Justice set this out.
Krüsemann v TUIfly (2018). After TUIfly announced a surprise restructuring, a large number of its crew called in sick at the same time, in what was effectively a wildcat strike. The court held this was not extraordinary: it stemmed from the airline's own management decision and was within its control.
Airhelp v SAS (2023). SAS pilots went on a strike called by their unions over pay and conditions. The court held that a strike by an airline's own staff, called to press demands the airline could negotiate, is not an extraordinary circumstance. SAS had to pay.
Does Airhelp v SAS apply to UK flights?
Not automatically. Decisions of the EU court made after the end of 2020 don't bind UK courts, though UK courts can take them into account. Krüsemann, from 2018, came before that date and remains part of UK law.
For flights departing the EU, both cases apply in full. For UK flights, the reasoning is the same and we rely on it, but it's fair to say the point is less settled in the UK than in the EU.
Why don't air traffic control strikes count?
Air traffic controllers don't work for the airline. When they strike, flights are restricted or cancelled across a whole region, and the airline can't negotiate an end to it. That's the definition of something outside the airline's control.
The same generally applies to strikes by airport security staff, baggage handlers employed by the airport, or border staff.
But the airline still has to try
Even when a strike is extraordinary, the airline has to show it took reasonable measures to avoid or limit the disruption. If other airlines were flying the same route, or the airline could have rerouted you on the same day and didn't, that may be challenged.
And an air traffic control strike only explains the disruption it actually caused. If your flight was cancelled two days after a strike ended, the airline would need to explain why.
What about strikes by an airline's contractors?
This is a greyer area. Many airlines use outside companies for ground handling, catering or check-in. If those contractors' staff strike, the airline will argue it's outside its control.
There's an argument either way, and it depends on the facts: who chose the contractor, how central the work was to running the flight, and what the airline did to cover. We look at these case by case.
How much compensation for a strike cancellation?
If the strike doesn't count as extraordinary, the normal amounts apply, by distance:
| Flight distance | UK departures (UK261) | EU departures (EC261) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | £220 | €250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | £350 | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | £520 | €600 |
When notice matters
Strikes are often announced in advance. If the airline cancels your flight 14 days or more before departure, no compensation is due, whatever the cause.
If it gives you 7 to 13 days' notice, compensation isn't due if it offers a new flight leaving no more than two hours earlier and arriving no more than four hours later than your original.
If it gives you less than 7 days' notice, compensation isn't due if the new flight leaves no more than one hour earlier and arrives no more than two hours later.
In practice, strike cancellations are often made at short notice, and the replacement flights often fall outside these windows.
What am I owed even if the strike is extraordinary?
Whoever went on strike, if your flight is cancelled you can choose between:
- a full refund within seven days, in money; or
- re-routing at the earliest opportunity, which may mean on another airline; or
- re-routing at a later date you choose.
If you wait for a new flight, the airline must provide meals and refreshments, a hotel and transfers if you're stuck overnight, and two phone calls or emails. This care applies even during an air traffic control strike. See what the airline owes you during a delay.
If you paid for these yourself because the airline didn't provide them, keep the receipts and claim them back.
What should I keep if my flight is hit by a strike?
- The cancellation or delay message, with the date and time you received it. Notice periods decide a lot.
- Any message giving the reason. Airlines sometimes describe an own-staff strike as "industrial action" or "operational reasons" without saying whose.
- Details of any replacement flight offered, and when it actually left and arrived.
- Receipts for food, hotels or transport.
What does the airline usually say?
"Industrial action is outside our control." Ask whose industrial action. If it was the airline's own staff, that answer is wrong under the EU court's approach.
"We gave you notice." Check exactly when. Notice is counted against the scheduled departure date.
"You were offered an alternative." Check the times against the windows above. A replacement leaving the next day rarely fits.
See also our guide to extraordinary circumstances, and refund vs compensation for how cancellations work in general.
Flight hit by a strike? Enter the flight number and date and we'll tell you whether it qualifies. No win, no fee: 30% including VAT, nothing up front. Check my flight
Frequently asked questions
Is a pilot strike an extraordinary circumstance?
Not when the pilots work for the airline. The EU Court of Justice held in Airhelp v SAS (2023) that a strike by an airline's own staff is not extraordinary.
Do I get compensation for an air traffic control strike?
Usually not, because air traffic controllers aren't employed by the airline. You're still owed a refund or a new flight, and meals and a hotel while you wait.
My flight was cancelled three weeks before a strike. Can I claim?
Not compensation, because you were told more than 14 days ahead. You can still choose a full refund or a new flight.
Does the strike rule apply to UK flights?
The older Krüsemann case is part of UK law. The 2023 Airhelp v SAS decision doesn't bind UK courts but can be taken into account.
What if the airline says it was "industrial action" without saying whose?
Ask. If it turns out to be the airline's own staff, compensation is likely due. We ask on your behalf when we send the claim.
