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Eastern Airways flight delay and cancellation compensation

Up to €600 compensation per passenger. Was your Eastern Airways flight delayed or cancelled, or were you denied boarding? Eastern Airways is a UK airline: UK261 covers its flights departing the UK and its flights into the UK, and EU Regulation 261/2004 its flights departing the EU. Here is what to expect and what to do.

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: Reading time: 8 min How we write our guides

Check compensation or start a claim with AirHelp straight away

In short: On Eastern Airways flights departing the EU you are entitled to €250–600 compensation for an arrival delay of more than 3 hours, a cancellation notified less than 14 days before departure, or involuntary denied boarding – unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. Eastern Airways stopped flying on 27 October 2025, and its operating company Air Kilroe Ltd entered administration on 6 November 2025. UK261 covered its flights, but unpaid compensation can now only be lodged as an unsecured claim with the administrators, with no guarantee of payment. For unflown tickets, the CAA points to Section 75 (credit cards), chargeback (debit cards), your travel agent or travel insurance.

IATA code
T3
Headquarters
Humberside Airport (Kirmington)
Hub
Aberdeen, Humberside, Newquay (until October 2025)
Type
Regional
EU261 scope
flights departing the EU

Eastern Airways flight delay: when is compensation due?

If your Eastern Airways flight reached its final destination at least 3 hours late (counting from when the doors opened), and the cause was within the airline's control – a technical fault, staff shortage, a delay on the previous flight, a strike by its own staff – you are entitled to compensation. It is not due if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances (weather, an air traffic control strike, an airport closure). Read the full conditions here.

Typical Eastern Airways routes: London Gatwick–Newquay, Aberdeen–Wick, Aberdeen–Sumburgh (energy-sector flights).

Eastern Airways flight cancellation: what are you entitled to?

If your flight is cancelled, Eastern Airways must offer you a refund of the ticket price (within 7 days) or re-routing on the earliest available flight – including another airline's, if that is quicker. If you were told about the cancellation less than 14 days before departure and the re-routing offered differed significantly from the original flight, you are also entitled to compensation. More on the 14-day rule.

How much compensation for a Eastern Airways flight?

Flight distanceDelay on arrivalCompensation per passenger
Up to 1,500 km
e.g. London–Paris, Berlin–Rome, Dublin–Amsterdamover 3 hours€250UK261: £220
1,500–3,500 km, and every flight within the EU over 1,500 km
e.g. London–Athens, Frankfurt–Tenerife, Rome–Tel Avivover 3 hours€400UK261: £350
Over 3,500 km, to or from outside the EU
e.g. London–New York, Frankfurt–Dubai, Paris–Bangkokbetween 3 and 4 hours€300UK261: £260 (reduced by 50%)
Over 3,500 km, to or from outside the EUover 4 hours€600UK261: £520

Check your Eastern Airways flight

Two minutes, free, no sign-up.

What happened?Step 1 of 4

What happened to your flight?
Where did you fly from and to?

With a connection, enter your first departure and your final destination – compensation is based on the total distance.

How late did you arrive at your final destination?

What counts is when the aircraft doors opened at your destination – not the departure delay.

When were you told about the cancellation?
When did you arrive on the replacement flight?
Which airline operated the flight?
When was the flight?

How many passengers were on the booking?

1 passenger

Every passenger gets their own compensation, children too. Infants under 2 without their own seat do not count.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Fee only if successful (35%)
  • AirHelp: Trustpilot 4.5/5

Rather skip the questions? Start a claim with AirHelp straight away

How punctual was Eastern Airways in the UK in 2025?

Eastern Airways operated 3,685 flights at UK airports in 2025. 1.47% were 3 hours or more late and 12.45% were cancelled – see how that compares with the UK average below and in our UK delay statistics.

Flights operated
3,685

2025, at UK airports

On time (≤ 15 min late)
64.9%

close to the UK average (72.7%)

3 hours or more late
1.47%

1 in 68 flights · worse than the UK average

Cancelled
12.45%

524 flights · worse than the UK average

Average delay
20.1 min

UK average 15.1 min

Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics 2025 – departures and arrivals combined, measured against the schedule at the UK airport. How we use this data

UK airportFlightsOn time3 h+ lateCancelled
Aberdeen1,40766.7%1.17%15.19%
London Gatwick1,02262.5%1.46%17.38%
Teesside International60872.3%2.04%6.03%
London Southend26980.1%0.00%1.10%
Glasgow16933.7%0.59%0.00%

What to know when claiming from Eastern Airways

  • Ticket for a flight after 27 October 2025? The CAA's advice: if you paid by credit card, claim from the card issuer under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act; by debit card, ask for a chargeback; if you booked through an agent, contact the agent; or claim on travel insurance that includes scheduled airline failure cover.
  • Compensation for a delay or cancellation before the collapse was owed under UK261, but Eastern can no longer pay it. You can lodge an unsecured claim with the joint administrators (RSM UK Restructuring Advisory LLP, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL); there is no guarantee you will receive anything.
  • Eastern's website no longer works, so keep your own records: booking confirmation, boarding passes and any messages about the disruption.

About Eastern Airways

Eastern Airways was founded on 19 November 1997 and began flying on 1 December 1997; its flights were operated by Air Kilroe Ltd from a base at Humberside Airport. It flew regional routes and energy-industry charters, operated as a Flybe franchise from 2017 and returned to its own brand after Flybe collapsed in March 2020. It won public service obligation (PSO) contracts for Newquay–London Gatwick (2021) and Aberdeen–Wick (2022), and from 2024 flew Embraer jets on a wet-lease contract for KLM Cityhopper from Humberside and Teesside.

KLM ended that contract on 5 October 2025. On 27 October 2025 Eastern suspended all flights and filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators; the CAA told passengers that all flights were cancelled and not to go to the airport. On 6 November 2025 RSM UK Restructuring Advisory LLP were appointed joint administrators (High Court, Leeds, case CR-2025-001067), and a rescue sale of the business was not completed. Cornwall Council appointed Isles of Scilly Skybus to take over the Newquay–Gatwick route.

In the CAA's 2025 figures, 12.45% of Eastern Airways' flights at UK airports were cancelled – about one in eight.

How to claim directly from Eastern Airways

  • Postal address: Joint Administrators of Air Kilroe Limited (t/a Eastern Airways), RSM UK Restructuring Advisory LLP, Central Square, 5th Floor, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL
  • Eastern Airways stopped flying on 27 October 2025 and Air Kilroe Ltd entered administration on 6 November 2025 (High Court, Leeds, CR-2025-001067); its website no longer works. Unpaid compensation can only be lodged as an unsecured claim with the administrators; for unflown tickets the CAA points to Section 75, chargeback, your travel agent or travel insurance.
  • Our complaint letter generator writes the letter for you – filled in, as a printable PDF.

We checked these claim channels on the airline's own website (10 November 2026).

Frequently asked questions

Am I entitled to compensation if my Eastern Airways flight was at least 3 hours late?

Yes, if the flight departed from an EU airport and the delay was not caused by extraordinary circumstances. The amount depends on the distance: €250, €400 or €600.

How do I submit a claim to Eastern Airways?

Directly through the airline's customer service form (https://www.easternairways.com), or through our partner AirHelp, which checks the flight data and, if the airline rejects the claim, takes the case to the enforcement body or to court – for a fee of 35% only if it succeeds.

How long do I have to claim for a Eastern Airways flight?

Limitation periods vary by country and are set by national law – for example 6 years in England & Wales, 5 years in Scotland and Hungary, and 3 years in Germany (from the end of the year). AirHelp typically accepts claims for flights up to 3 years old.

Eastern Airways offered me a voucher instead of compensation. Do I have to accept it?

No. Under the Regulation, compensation is paid in money; the airline may only give you a voucher with your written agreement. If you want money, do not accept it.

Flew with another airline?

The Eastern Airways name and trademark belong to their owner; EU261 Flight Delay is an independent information site with no connection to the airline. The content is for information only and is not legal advice. We receive a commission when a claim submitted through our partner links succeeds.

Sources

  1. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  2. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – EUR-Lex
  3. Delays and cancellations – your rights – UK Civil Aviation Authority

We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.