Flight compensation in the Czech Republic: delays, cancellations and how to claim

Which flights are covered

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.

How much: example routes from the Czech Republic

Compensation per passenger for a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation on the busiest international routes (Eurostat 2024):

How to claim in the Czech Republic

1. Claim from the airline in writing – its online form or a letter (complaint letter generator). Keep your booking, boarding pass and receipts.
2. National enforcement body: Civil Aviation Authority of the Czech Republic (ÚCL) – Online complaint form in Czech and English (kompenzace.caa.cz). It deals with flights departing from the Czech Republic, and flights arriving there from outside the EU.
3. Alternative dispute resolution: The Czech Trade Inspection Authority (ČOI) handles out-of-court consumer disputes in sectors not excluded from its remit (air transport is not on the excluded list). You must first try to settle with the trader and apply within one year of first claiming from it; ČOI cannot make a binding decision.
4. 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 the Czech Republic

• SmartwingsQS

Airports in the Czech Republic

• Prague (PRG)0.56 min ATFM/arrival
• Brno (BRQ)0.00 min ATFM/arrival
• Ostrava (OSR)0.00 min ATFM/arrival
• Karlovy Vary (KLV)0.00 min ATFM/arrival

Delay causes, busiest routes and seasonal patterns: flights to the Czech Republic · European delay statistics.

Strikes in the Czech Republic

No strikes affecting flights in the Czech Republic are announced in our strike calendar at the moment.

Strike days at the Czech Republic’s airports since 2024

EUROCONTROL recorded no arrival flow restrictions due to industrial action at the Czech Republic’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

• Apply to ČOI within one year of your first claim to the airline – after that, the ADR route is closed.
• In EUROCONTROL’s 2025 data almost all arrival flow-control delay at Prague was weather-related, with December the worst month.
• The Civil Aviation Authority’s online form is available in English, so you can complain about a flight from Prague without writing in Czech.

Frequently asked questions

How much compensation can I get for a delayed flight in the Czech Republic?

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 the Czech Republic if the airline refuses to pay?

To Civil Aviation Authority of the Czech Republic (ÚCL), the national enforcement body for the Czech Republic (Online complaint form in Czech and English (kompenzace.caa.cz)). It handles complaints about flights departing from the Czech Republic and flights arriving there from outside the EU. Alternative dispute resolution: The Czech Trade Inspection Authority (ČOI) handles out-of-court consumer disputes in sectors not excluded from its remit (air transport is not on the excluded list). You must first try to settle with the trader and apply within one year of first claiming from it; ČOI cannot make a binding decision.

How long do I have to claim in the Czech Republic?

The time limit depends on which country’s courts hear the claim, and we have not found an authoritative statement of the period for the Czech Republic. Claim as soon as you can, and check with Civil Aviation Authority of the Czech Republic (ÚCL) or the European Consumer Centre. See time limits by country.

I live in the Czech Republic 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

1. National enforcement bodies under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (updated 13 October 2026) – European Commission
2. Denied boarding, delay or cancellation of flight – Civil Aviation Authority of the Czech Republic
3. Informace o ADR – Česká obchodní inspekce
4. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – full text (Article 3: scope; recital 15: air traffic management decisions) – EUR-Lex
5. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it applies in the UK (UK261) – Article 3, scope – legislation.gov.uk
6. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 (flights by destination from UK airports) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
7. Airport arrival ATFM (flow-control) delay data, 2024–2025 – EUROCONTROL Aviation Intelligence Unit
8. Air passenger transport by reporting airport (avia_par), 2024 – Eurostat
9. Eurostat – air passenger transport routes between partner airports and main airports (2024) – Eurostat
10. EUROCONTROL – airport arrival ATFM delays (open performance data) – EUROCONTROL
11. 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.