Weather Delay Compensation (2026)

Can you claim compensation when bad weather delays your flight? Under EU261 and UK261, the answer depends on whether the weather directly affected your flight or was simply used as an airline excuse.

In this guide

1. What Is Weather Delay Compensation?
2. Can You Claim For Weather Delays?
3. Which Weather Situations Qualify?
4. Which Weather Situations Do NOT Qualify?
5. Important EU Court Principles
6. Real Weather Delay Examples
7. Why Airlines Reject Weather Claims
8. How To Claim Weather Delay Compensation
9. FAQ

What Is Weather Delay Compensation?

Many travellers assume: weather = no compensation. This is not entirely correct.

Under EU261 and UK261, if the weather qualifies as a genuine extraordinary circumstance — something outside the airline's control that could not have been avoided even with reasonable measures — the airline is exempt from paying compensation.

But that exemption is not automatic. Compensation may still be due if:

The weather had already cleared by the time of your flight
The weather only affected a previous flight, not yours
The airline failed to recover from the weather disruption through poor scheduling
The airline did not take reasonable measures to minimise the delay

Important: Bad weather itself may be extraordinary, but airlines must prove that the weather directly caused your delay and that no reasonable alternative was available.

Can You Claim For Weather Delays?

This is the most important part of this guide. The table below shows which weather-related situations typically qualify for compensation — and which do not.

Situation	Eligible?
Fog closes airport runway	❌ Usually No
Snowstorm grounds aircraft	❌ Usually No
Hurricane / severe storm	❌ Usually No
Volcanic ash cloud	❌ Usually No
Previous flight delayed by weather	✅ Often Yes
Crew out of position after weather	✅ Often Yes
Aircraft unavailable after earlier disruption	✅ Often Yes
Airline scheduling failure	✅ Often Yes
Airline staffing problem	✅ Often Yes

The dividing line: if the weather is still actively affecting your flight, compensation is unlikely. If the weather has passed and the delay is now an operational problem, compensation may be due.

Which Weather Situations Qualify?

These are the situations where courts have found that compensation may still be due, even though weather was involved at some point in the chain of events.

Previous Flight Weather Problems

Bad weather disrupted yesterday's flight, and today your flight is cancelled because the aircraft is in the wrong place. Many courts have found that airlines cannot use weather as an indefinite shield. The further your flight is from the original weather event, the weaker the airline's extraordinary circumstances defence becomes.

Crew Out Of Position

The crew could not reach your aircraft because of a previous day's weather disruption. This is usually treated as an airline operational problem. The airline is expected to have contingency plans for crew positioning. Courts have found that crew unavailability — even when caused by earlier weather — is the airline's responsibility.

Aircraft Rotation Failure

The aircraft scheduled for your flight was delayed on a previous route because of weather, and the airline could not arrange a replacement. Aircraft rotation issues are operational problems. If the airline had sufficient reserve aircraft or could have re-routed another plane, the delay may be compensable.

Failure To Mitigate

The weather has cleared, but the airline failed to put in place reasonable alternatives — such as re-routing passengers, using reserve aircraft, or repositioning crew. Under EU261, airlines must take "all reasonable measures" to minimise disruption. A failure to do so can make them liable for compensation even when the original cause was weather.

Weather At Another Airport

The airline claims weather at a different airport caused your delay. The airline must prove a direct connection between that weather event and your specific flight disruption. If the weather at your departure and arrival airports was fine, the airline's claim may not hold up.

Which Weather Situations Do NOT Qualify?

These are weather events that courts have consistently treated as extraordinary circumstances. If your flight was directly affected by any of these, compensation is unlikely — but the airline still owes you care obligations (meals, accommodation, re-routing).

Severe Thunderstorms

Lightning, hail, and severe turbulence that make flying unsafe are clearly beyond any airline's control. If your flight cannot safely take off or land because of an active thunderstorm, this is treated as extraordinary.

Hurricane Conditions

Hurricanes and tropical storms that force airport closures and make flying dangerous are extraordinary circumstances. No airline can operate safely in hurricane conditions.

Heavy Snow Closing Runways

When heavy snowfall makes runways unusable and the airport authority closes the airfield, this is outside the airline's control. However, if the snow has been cleared and your flight is still delayed for operational reasons, compensation may apply.

Volcanic Ash Restrictions

Volcanic ash clouds pose a serious safety risk to aircraft engines. When aviation authorities restrict airspace because of volcanic ash, airlines cannot operate — and this is treated as extraordinary. The 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption is the most well-known example.

Air Traffic Restrictions Due To Weather

When air traffic control imposes flow restrictions because of weather — such as reduced visibility requiring greater separation between aircraft — this is an external decision that the airline cannot override.

Airport Closure

If the airport authority closes the airport because of flooding, snow, or storm damage, no flights can operate regardless of the airline's efforts. This is treated as extraordinary.

The pattern: genuinely exempt weather events are active, severe, and directly affecting your flight at the time of disruption. If the weather has passed, the exemption may no longer apply.

Important EU Court Principles

These are the legal principles that courts apply when deciding weather-related compensation claims. Understanding them gives you the strongest possible argument.

Core Principle — C-549/07

Wallentin-Hermann Principle

The airline must prove two things: first, that the event was beyond its actual control; second, that it took all reasonable measures to avoid the disruption. Both conditions must be met. An airline cannot simply cite bad weather — it must demonstrate that the weather made the delay unavoidable and that nothing could have been done to prevent it.

Burden on airline

Established Principle

Burden Of Proof

The burden of proof rests on the airline, not the passenger. The airline must provide specific evidence that the weather event directly caused the disruption to your flight. Vague references to “adverse weather” or “weather conditions” are not sufficient. Courts expect airlines to produce METAR reports, NOTAM records, or other objective evidence.

Airline must prove

Established Principle

Knock-On Delays

Weather affecting a previous flight does not automatically exempt the airline from compensation for all subsequent flights. The airline must prove a direct causal link between the weather event and your specific flight disruption. The further your flight is from the original weather event, the harder this becomes. Courts have found that airlines must recover from weather disruptions within a reasonable timeframe — they cannot chain weather excuses indefinitely.

No automatic exemption

Airlines must prove the direct connection between the weather event and your specific flight disruption. A storm at another airport three hours ago does not automatically excuse a delay to your flight now.

Real Weather Delay Examples

These examples show how compensation applies to real routes and real weather situations — including when compensation is denied and when it is granted.

Route	Cause	Outcome
London → Paris	Snowstorm	No Compensation
Madrid → Rome	Thunderstorm	No Compensation
Amsterdam → Lisbon	Previous-day weather disruption	€400
Frankfurt → Athens	Crew unavailable after weather	€400
Dublin → Tenerife	Operational recovery failure	€400

The first two examples involve active weather directly affecting the flight — compensation is unlikely. The last three involve knock-on effects and operational failures after weather has passed — compensation is more likely.

Why Airlines Reject Weather Claims

Weather is the most common excuse airlines use to reject compensation claims. Here is what they say — and why it does not always hold up.

Airline says: “Bad Weather”

Reality: Weather must directly affect your flight. If the weather has cleared, or the weather was at a different airport, the airline's claim may not hold. Ask for specific evidence — METAR reports, NOTAMs, airport closure records.

Airline says: “Airport Restrictions”

Reality: The airline must provide evidence that the restrictions were caused by weather and directly affected your flight. ATC flow restrictions due to weather elsewhere do not automatically exempt the airline from compensation for your specific flight.

Airline says: “Aircraft Not Available”

Reality: Aircraft rotation issues are often operational problems, not weather problems. If the weather has passed but the airline still cannot position an aircraft, that is a scheduling failure — not an extraordinary circumstance.

Airline says: “Crew Out Of Position”

Reality: Crew planning remains the airline's responsibility. If crew are unavailable because of a previous weather disruption, the airline must demonstrate that it took all reasonable measures to reposition crew. Courts have found that crew unavailability is usually the airline's operational problem.

Airline says: “Extraordinary Circumstances”

Reality: The airline must prove it. Simply stating "extraordinary circumstances" is not enough. The airline needs to demonstrate that the weather event was beyond its control, that it directly caused your delay, and that no reasonable measures could have prevented the disruption. This is a high bar.

Why travellers skip claim companies

Compensation

€600

Claim Company

€390

You lose €210

FlightClaimGuide

€591

You keep €201 more

Weather claims are the most commonly rejected — and many are overturned on appeal. Our claim package includes evidence request templates and escalation guidance.

Get Weather Claim Package

How To Claim Weather Delay Compensation

Check Eligibility

Use the eligibility table above. If the weather was directly affecting your flight at the time of disruption, compensation is unlikely. If the delay was caused by knock-on effects — crew, aircraft, scheduling — you may have a claim.

Request Weather Evidence

Ask the airline for specific evidence of the weather event. What were the conditions? When did they occur? Which airport was affected? Request METAR reports and NOTAM records. If the airline cannot provide this, their defence is weak.

Ask For Airport NOTAM Records

NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) are official records of airport conditions. They can confirm whether weather was actually severe enough to affect operations at your departure or arrival airport. If no weather-related NOTAM was issued, the airline's claim is questionable.

Verify Actual Weather Conditions

Check independent weather records for your departure and arrival airports at the time of your flight. If conditions were normal, the airline's weather excuse does not hold. Historical weather data is available from multiple online sources.

Challenge Unsupported Airline Excuses

If the airline cites "weather" without specific evidence, challenge the claim. Cite the Wallentin-Hermann principle: the airline bears the burden of proof. Request they provide METAR reports, NOTAMs, or airport closure records to support their claim.

Escalate If Rejected

If the airline rejects your claim, escalate to an ADR body — CEDR for UK departures, SÖP for Germany, or your national enforcement body. ADR bodies regularly overturn vague weather-related rejections, particularly when the airline's evidence is weak.

Use Airline-Specific Claim Package

Our claim packages include evidence request templates, NOTAM request forms, and escalation guidance tailored to each airline's common tactics for rejecting weather claims.

Related Guides

Flight Delay Compensation

Claim up to €600 for delayed flights.

Flight Cancellation Compensation

Your rights when a flight is cancelled.

Technical Fault Compensation

Airlines blame technical faults. Courts disagree.

Crew Shortage Compensation

Crew shortages are usually the airline's responsibility.

EU261 Compensation Guide

The EU regulation protecting passenger rights.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I claim compensation for bad weather?

It depends. If severe weather directly affected your flight and the airline could not have avoided the disruption, compensation is unlikely. But if the weather had cleared, or the delay was caused by knock-on effects the airline should have managed — such as crew or aircraft positioning — you may still qualify. The airline must prove the weather directly caused your specific delay.

Does snow count as extraordinary circumstances?

Heavy snow that closes runways or makes flying unsafe is generally treated as extraordinary. However, if the snow has stopped, the runway has been cleared, and your flight is still delayed because of aircraft or crew positioning issues, the airline may still owe you compensation. The key is whether the weather was still the direct cause of your delay.

Can airlines use weather as an excuse?

Airlines can cite weather as a reason for delay — but they must prove it. Simply stating "adverse weather conditions" is not enough. The airline needs to demonstrate that the weather event directly affected your specific flight and that no reasonable measures could have prevented the disruption. Courts have found that airlines sometimes use weather as a convenient excuse for what are actually operational failures.

What if weather affected a previous flight?

This is one of the most important exceptions. If bad weather disrupted an earlier flight, and that caused your flight to be delayed because the aircraft or crew was not available, the airline cannot automatically claim extraordinary circumstances for your flight. The further removed your flight is from the original weather event, the weaker the airline's defence becomes. Courts have found that airlines must recover from weather disruptions within a reasonable timeframe.

Can I claim if my crew was unavailable?

Yes, in many cases. If the crew was unavailable because of a previous weather disruption, but the weather had since cleared, the delay to your flight may be considered an operational issue rather than a weather issue. The airline is expected to have contingency plans for crew positioning. Crew unavailability is usually the airline's responsibility.

Do airlines have to prove bad weather?

Yes. The burden of proof is on the airline. Under EU261, the airline must demonstrate that the extraordinary circumstance existed, that it directly caused the delay or cancellation, and that no reasonable measures could have avoided the disruption. Vague references to "weather conditions" are not sufficient. The airline should provide specific evidence — such as METAR reports, NOTAMs, or airport closure records.

What is a NOTAM?

A NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) is an official notice filed with aviation authorities to alert pilots and airlines of potential hazards or changes along a flight route or at an airport. NOTAMs can include information about runway closures, weather hazards, airspace restrictions, and other operational issues. If an airline claims weather caused your delay, you can request the relevant NOTAM records to verify whether the weather conditions were actually severe enough to affect your flight.

Can I claim for airport closure?

If an airport is closed due to severe weather — such as a snowstorm, flood, or hurricane — compensation is unlikely. Airport closures are generally treated as extraordinary circumstances. However, if the airport has reopened and your flight is still delayed because of aircraft or crew positioning, you may have a claim. The closure itself may be extraordinary, but the airline's failure to recover afterwards may not be.

How long do weather claims take?

Weather claims often take longer than other types because airlines are more confident in rejecting them. Expect 4-8 weeks for an initial airline response. If rejected, escalating to an ADR body (CEDR in the UK, SÖP in Germany) typically takes another 8-12 weeks. The entire process can take 3-6 months. Weather claims that go to ADR have a reasonable success rate, particularly when the airline's evidence is weak.

What evidence should I collect?

Save your boarding pass, booking confirmation, and all airline communications. Note the exact departure and arrival times. If possible, check weather reports for your departure and arrival airports at the time of your flight — you may find the weather was not as severe as the airline claims. Request the airline provide specific evidence of the weather event, including METAR reports and NOTAMs. Screenshot any airline statements about the delay reason.

Airline Blamed The Weather?

Many weather-related rejections do not hold up. Check your eligibility in under 2 minutes and keep 100% of your compensation.

Check Compensation Free

Disclaimer

This guide is provided for informational purposes only. FlightClaimGuide does not provide legal advice and recommends seeking independent professional advice for complex legal matters.