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Emirates flight delay and cancellation compensation

Up to €600 compensation per passenger. Was your Emirates flight delayed or cancelled, or were you denied boarding? Emirates is not an EU or UK airline, so EU261 and UK261 apply only to its flights departing the EU or the UK. 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 Emirates 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. An airline from the United Arab Emirates: EU261 applies only to flights departing the EU, not to flights departing Dubai.

IATA code
EK
Headquarters
Dubai
Hub
Dubai (DXB)
Type
Full-service
EU261 scope
flights departing the EU

Emirates flight delay: when is compensation due?

If your Emirates 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 Emirates routes: London Heathrow–Dubai, Dubai–Bangkok, Dubai–Malé (Maldives), Dubai–Sydney, Dubai–Tokyo.

Emirates flight cancellation: what are you entitled to?

If your flight is cancelled, Emirates 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 Emirates 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 Emirates 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 Emirates in the UK in 2025?

Emirates operated 13,970 flights at UK airports in 2025. 0.33% were 3 hours or more late and 0.32% were cancelled – see how that compares with the UK average below and in our UK delay statistics.

Flights operated
13,970

2025, at UK airports

On time (≤ 15 min late)
74.9%

close to the UK average (72.7%)

3 hours or more late
0.33%

1 in 303 flights · better than the UK average

Cancelled
0.32%

45 flights · better than the UK average

Average delay
11.7 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
London Heathrow4,48174.2%0.24%0.33%
Manchester2,19064.6%0.95%0.41%
London Gatwick2,18973.9%0.27%0.18%
Birmingham1,46281.2%0.07%0.75%
London Stansted1,46084.8%0.07%0.14%
Glasgow73171.7%0.14%0.41%
Edinburgh72982.2%0.55%0.14%
Newcastle72877.7%0.14%0.00%

What to know when claiming from Emirates

  • Emirates handles EU261/UK261 claims through its online feedback and complaints form (emirates.com/feedback), which needs a ticket number starting with 176. It is not in a CAA-approved ADR scheme: its UK notice refers unresolved complaints to the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT).
  • If you miss a connection, Emirates' ground staff in Dubai rebook you automatically: keep both the original and the new boarding pass.

About Emirates

Emirates flies to Dubai from a large number of European cities, many of them with Airbus A380 or Boeing 777 aircraft, and is a favourite with travellers connecting to the Far East. As a non-EU airline, its compensation position is the same as Qatar Airways': EU261 on the outbound flight from the EU, only the Montreal Convention on the way back.

During the April 2024 floods in Dubai, thousands of Emirates flights were cancelled. Because the weather was an extraordinary circumstance, no compensation was due, but care (accommodation, meals) and refunds were.

How to claim directly from Emirates

  • Official online form: emirates.com
  • Emirates’ UK delay notice sends claims to Customer Affairs via this form (emirates.com/feedback). It requires a ticket number starting with 176; maximum 3,000 characters. Not in a CAA-listed UK ADR scheme – Emirates’ UK notice refers unresolved complaints to the CAA’s PACT.
  • 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 Emirates 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 Emirates?

Directly through the airline's customer service form (https://www.emirates.com/english/help/forms/complaint/), 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 Emirates 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.

Emirates 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 Emirates 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. Emirates – official claim / complaints page – Emirates
  2. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – EUR-Lex
  4. 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.