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Flight compensation in Hungary: delays, cancellations and how to claim

By passengers on routes within Europe in Eurostat’s 2024 data, Budapest Ferenc Liszt – the home base of Wizz Air – was by far Hungary’s busiest airport, followed by Debrecen. EU261 covers every departure from Hungary, whatever the airline, and flights to Hungary from outside the EU, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland when an airline licensed in one of those countries operates them.

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: How we write our guides

Check compensation or start a claim with AirHelp straight away

In short: Every flight departing from Hungary 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 Hungary from outside the EU are covered only on EU airlines. Complain to the airline first, then to Government Office of the Capital City Budapest, Consumer Protection Department or an ADR body, and if needed go to court.

Which flights are covered

Your flightRulesWhich airlines
From Hungary to anywhereEU261Any airline
From another EU/EEA country or Switzerland to HungaryEU261Any airline
From the UK to HungaryUK261 (EU261 too on an EU airline)Any airline
From outside Europe to HungaryEU261EU 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 Hungary

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 much: example routes from Hungary

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

RouteDistanceOutboundReturn
Budapest – Istanbul1,016 km€250€250 (an EU airline)
Budapest – Frankfurt836 km€250€250
Budapest – Barcelona El Prat1,522 km€400€400
Budapest – Amsterdam Schiphol1,169 km€250€250
Budapest – Milan Malpensa830 km€250€250
Budapest – Madrid Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas1,974 km€400€400
Budapest – Berlin686 km€250€250
Budapest – Copenhagen1,018 km€250€250
Budapest – Warsaw Chopin541 km€250€250
Budapest – Basel881 km€250€250

How to claim in Hungary

  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: Government Office of the Capital City Budapest, Consumer Protection Department – Handles individual passenger complaints. Since C-597/20 (LOT), Hungarian enforcement bodies may order an airline to pay compensation, subject to court review. It deals with flights departing from Hungary, and flights arriving there from outside the EU.
  3. Alternative dispute resolution: The county conciliation boards (békéltető testületek), such as the Budapest Conciliation Board, are free. You must first try to settle with the airline. A decision is binding only if the airline has submitted to the board; otherwise it is a recommendation. The Budapest board is competent for cross-border online contracts.
  4. Court: the local court for the departure or arrival airport, or – for cross-border cases – the European Small Claims Procedure.
  5. Time limit: 5 years from when the claim became due (general rule, Civil Code – Act V of 2013 – s.6:22).

Prefer not to do it yourself? A claims company does the work for a share of the compensation – see claim companies compared.

Airlines from Hungary

  • Wizz Aircustomer, cancelled, how, delayed,, refunds

Customer service: Wizz Air.

Airports in Hungary

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

Strikes in Hungary

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

Strike days at Hungary’s airports since 2024

EUROCONTROL recorded no arrival flow restrictions due to industrial action at Hungary’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

  • Hungary is one of the few countries where the enforcement body can order an airline to pay an individual passenger (C-597/20 LOT) – the procedure takes months, but the result is enforceable.
  • Use the Budapest Conciliation Board if you booked online from abroad: it has competence for cross-border online contracts and is free.
  • Budapest had very little arrival flow-control delay in EUROCONTROL’s 2025 data, so if your flight from Budapest was badly delayed, ask the airline in writing for the specific reason.

Frequently asked questions

How much compensation can I get for a delayed flight in Hungary?

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 Hungary if the airline refuses to pay?

To Government Office of the Capital City Budapest, Consumer Protection Department, the national enforcement body for Hungary (Handles individual passenger complaints. Since C-597/20 (LOT), Hungarian enforcement bodies may order an airline to pay compensation, subject to court review). It handles complaints about flights departing from Hungary and flights arriving there from outside the EU. Alternative dispute resolution: The county conciliation boards (békéltető testületek), such as the Budapest Conciliation Board, are free. You must first try to settle with the airline. A decision is binding only if the airline has submitted to the board; otherwise it is a recommendation. The Budapest board is competent for cross-border online contracts.

How long do I have to claim in Hungary?

5 years from when the claim became due (general rule, Civil Code – Act V of 2013 – s.6:22).

I live in Hungary 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. Judgment C-597/20 LOT (29 September 2022) – EUR-Lex
  3. Budapesti Békéltető Testület – gyakori kérdések – Budapesti Békéltető Testület
  4. Budapesti Békéltető Testület – ADR entry – European Commission – consumer redress
  5. Act V of 2013 on the Civil Code – Nemzeti Jogszabálytár
  6. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – full text (Article 3: scope; recital 15: air traffic management decisions) – EUR-Lex
  7. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it applies in the UK (UK261) – Article 3, scope – legislation.gov.uk
  8. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 (flights by destination from UK airports) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  9. Airport arrival ATFM (flow-control) delay data, 2024–2025 – EUROCONTROL Aviation Intelligence Unit
  10. Air passenger transport by reporting airport (avia_par), 2024 – Eurostat
  11. Eurostat – air passenger transport routes between partner airports and main airports (2024) – Eurostat
  12. EUROCONTROL – airport arrival ATFM delays (open performance data) – EUROCONTROL
  13. 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.