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

Riga International is Latvia’s only airport in Eurostat’s 2024 data on routes within Europe and the hub of airBaltic, the Latvian national airline. EU261 covers every departure from Latvia, whatever the airline, and flights to Latvia 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

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In short: Every flight departing from Latvia 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 Latvia from outside the EU are covered only on EU airlines. Complain to the airline first, then to Consumer Rights Protection Centre (Patērētāju tiesību aizsardzības centrs, PTAC), and if needed go to court.

Which flights are covered

Your flightRulesWhich airlines
From Latvia to anywhereEU261Any airline
From another EU/EEA country or Switzerland to LatviaEU261Any airline
From the UK to LatviaUK261 (EU261 too on an EU airline)Any airline
From outside Europe to LatviaEU261EU 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 Latvia

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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.

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  • Fee only if successful (35%)
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How much: example routes from Latvia

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

RouteDistanceOutboundReturn
Riga – Helsinki382 km€250€250
Riga – Stockholm Arlanda465 km€250€250
Riga – Tallinn282 km€250€250
Riga – Frankfurt1,271 km€250€250
Riga – Oslo Gardermoen829 km€250€250
Riga – Vilnius267 km€250€250
Riga – Vienna1,099 km€250€250
Riga – Berlin842 km€250€250
Riga – Copenhagen713 km€250€250
Riga – Amsterdam Schiphol1,333 km€250€250

How to claim in Latvia

  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: Consumer Rights Protection Centre (Patērētāju tiesību aizsardzības centrs, PTAC) – Complain to the airline in writing first. PTAC examines complaints about flights departing from Latvia and flights into Latvia from outside the EU, but does not decide on payment of individual claims. Complaint form in Latvian and English. It deals with flights departing from Latvia, and flights arriving there from outside the EU.
  3. Court: the local court for the departure or arrival airport, or – for cross-border cases – the European Small Claims Procedure.
  4. Time limit: 3 years: claims against the carrier expire after three years (Commercial Law, art. 406), according to the Consumer Rights Protection Centre.

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

Airlines from Latvia

Airports in Latvia

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

Strikes in Latvia

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

Strike days at Latvia’s airports since 2024

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

  • Under the Law “On Aviation” a claim can go to the authorities or a court only after a written claim to the airline. For incidents at Latvian airports, or on a Latvian airline, PTAC says that claim must reach the airline within six months of the flight date.
  • PTAC’s guidance says that for airBaltic flights from the UK or Estonia (or into them from outside the EU), passengers should contact PTAC.
  • Riga had almost no arrival flow-control delay in EUROCONTROL’s 2024–2025 data, so if your flight from Riga 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 Latvia?

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 Latvia if the airline refuses to pay?

To Consumer Rights Protection Centre (Patērētāju tiesību aizsardzības centrs, PTAC), the national enforcement body for Latvia (Complain to the airline in writing first. PTAC examines complaints about flights departing from Latvia and flights into Latvia from outside the EU, but does not decide on payment of individual claims. Complaint form in Latvian and English). It handles complaints about flights departing from Latvia and flights arriving there from outside the EU.

How long do I have to claim in Latvia?

3 years: claims against the carrier expire after three years (Commercial Law, art. 406), according to the Consumer Rights Protection Centre.

I live in Latvia 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. Air passenger rights – Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC)
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – full text (Article 3: scope; recital 15: air traffic management decisions) – EUR-Lex
  4. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it applies in the UK (UK261) – Article 3, scope – legislation.gov.uk
  5. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 (flights by destination from UK airports) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  6. Airport arrival ATFM (flow-control) delay data, 2024–2025 – EUROCONTROL Aviation Intelligence Unit
  7. Air passenger transport by reporting airport (avia_par), 2024 – Eurostat
  8. Eurostat – air passenger transport routes between partner airports and main airports (2024) – Eurostat
  9. EUROCONTROL – airport arrival ATFM delays (open performance data) – EUROCONTROL
  10. 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.