In short: Every flight departing from Austria is covered by EU261, whatever the airline: €250–€600 per passenger for a delay of 3 hours or more at arrival, a cancellation with less than 14 days’ notice or denied boarding – unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. Flights into Austria from outside the EU are covered only on EU airlines. Complain to the airline first, then to Agentur für Passagier- und Fahrgastrechte (apf) – Agency for Passenger Rights or an ADR body, and if needed go to court.
Which flights are covered
| Your flight | Rules | Which airlines |
|---|---|---|
| From Austria to anywhere | EU261 | Any airline |
| From another EU/EEA country or Switzerland to Austria | EU261 | Any airline |
| From the UK to Austria | UK261 (EU261 too on an EU airline) | Any airline |
| From outside Europe to Austria | EU261 | EU airlines only |
Whatever the cause, from 2 hours’ delay the airline must also provide meals and drinks, and a hotel if you are stuck overnight; after a cancellation or a 5-hour delay you can choose a refund. Care and refunds.
Check your flight from Austria
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How much: example routes from Austria
Compensation per passenger for a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation on the busiest international routes (Eurostat 2024):
| Route | Distance | Outbound | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna – Frankfurt | 621 km | €250 | €250 |
| Vienna – Amsterdam Schiphol | 959 km | €250 | €250 |
| Vienna – Zurich | 603 km | €250 | €250 |
| Vienna – Barcelona El Prat | 1,370 km | €250 | €250 |
| Vienna – Paris Charles de Gaulle | 1,035 km | €250 | €250 |
| Vienna – Berlin | 521 km | €250 | €250 |
| Vienna – Rome Fiumicino | 779 km | €250 | €250 |
| Vienna – Copenhagen | 877 km | €250 | €250 |
| Vienna – Hamburg | 767 km | €250 | €250 |
| Vienna – Athens | 1,279 km | €250 | €250 |
How to claim in Austria
- Claim from the airline in writing – its online form or a letter (complaint letter generator). Keep your booking, boarding pass and receipts.
- National enforcement body: Agentur für Passagier- und Fahrgastrechte (apf) – Agency for Passenger Rights – Online complaint form in German and English. It deals with flights departing from Austria, and flights arriving there from outside the EU.
- Alternative dispute resolution: The apf is also the statutory conciliation body for air passengers. The procedure is free, the airline is obliged to take part once a case is opened, and the proposed solution is not binding. You must first try the airline; if there is no agreement or final answer within six weeks you can apply. It covers airlines established in Austria and flights departing from or landing in Austria.
- Court: the local court for the departure or arrival airport, or – for cross-border cases – the European Small Claims Procedure.
Prefer not to do it yourself? A claims company does the work for a share of the compensation – see claim companies compared.
Airlines from Austria
Airports in Austria
- Vienna (VIE)0.79 min ATFM/arrival
- Salzburg (SZG)0.03 min ATFM/arrival
- Graz (GRZ)0.00 min ATFM/arrival
- Innsbruck (INN)0.39 min ATFM/arrival
- Linz (LNZ)0.00 min ATFM/arrival
- Klagenfurt (KLU)0.00 min ATFM/arrival
Delay causes, busiest routes and seasonal patterns: flights to Austria · European delay statistics.
Strikes in Austria
No strikes affecting flights in Austria are announced in our strike calendar at the moment.
Strike days at Austria’s airports since 2024
EUROCONTROL recorded no arrival flow restrictions due to industrial action at Austria’s airports between January 2024 and 30 September 2026. Strikes by air traffic controllers elsewhere and by airline staff are not included. Check a specific day.
Good to know
- Try the airline first and keep the date of your claim: after six weeks without a satisfactory answer you can go to the apf free of charge.
- In EUROCONTROL’s 2025 data Innsbruck’s arrival flow-control delays peaked in February and were about half weather-related; Vienna’s peaked in July and were almost all weather.
- If you connect in Vienna on a single booking, what counts for compensation is the delay at your final destination, not at the transfer airport (C-11/11 Folkerts).
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation can I get for a delayed flight in Austria?
Under EU261, €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for 1,500–3,500 km (and for every flight within the EU over 1,500 km) and €600 for longer flights (€300 if a long-haul flight arrives 3–4 hours late), per passenger, if you arrive 3 hours or more late and the airline cannot prove extraordinary circumstances. It does not matter where you live – only where you flew from, where to, and with which airline.
Where do I complain in Austria if the airline refuses to pay?
To Agentur für Passagier- und Fahrgastrechte (apf) – Agency for Passenger Rights, the national enforcement body for Austria (Online complaint form in German and English). It handles complaints about flights departing from Austria and flights arriving there from outside the EU. Alternative dispute resolution: The apf is also the statutory conciliation body for air passengers. The procedure is free, the airline is obliged to take part once a case is opened, and the proposed solution is not binding. You must first try the airline; if there is no agreement or final answer within six weeks you can apply. It covers airlines established in Austria and flights departing from or landing in Austria.
How long do I have to claim in Austria?
The time limit depends on which country’s courts hear the claim, and we have not found an authoritative statement of the period for Austria. Claim as soon as you can, and check with Agentur für Passagier- und Fahrgastrechte (apf) – Agency for Passenger Rights or the European Consumer Centre. See time limits by country.
I live in Austria but my flight left from another country. Where can I claim?
Your rights depend on the flight, not on where you live. For a flight between two EU countries you can sue in the courts for the place of departure or the place of arrival (CJEU C-204/08 Rehder); for cross-border cases the European Small Claims Procedure works by post and online. The enforcement body to complain to is the one in the country where the incident happened.
Information only, not legal advice. Enforcement bodies and dispute schemes as listed by the European Commission, checked November 2026.
Sources
- National enforcement bodies under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (updated 13 October 2026) – European Commission
- FAQ Schlichtungsverfahren Flug – apf
- Judgment C-11/11 Air France v Folkerts (26 February 2013) – delay measured at final destination – EUR-Lex
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – full text (Article 3: scope; recital 15: air traffic management decisions) – EUR-Lex
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it applies in the UK (UK261) – Article 3, scope – legislation.gov.uk
- UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 (flights by destination from UK airports) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
- Airport arrival ATFM (flow-control) delay data, 2024–2025 – EUROCONTROL Aviation Intelligence Unit
- Air passenger transport by reporting airport (avia_par), 2024 – Eurostat
- Eurostat – air passenger transport routes between partner airports and main airports (2024) – Eurostat
- EUROCONTROL – airport arrival ATFM delays (open performance data) – EUROCONTROL
- C-204/08 Rehder v Air Baltic (jurisdiction: place of departure or arrival) – EUR-Lex
We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.