In short: Every flight departing from the Netherlands 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 the Netherlands from outside the EU are covered only on EU airlines. Complain to the airline first, then to Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) – Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate, and if needed go to court.
Which flights are covered
| Your flight | Rules | Which airlines |
|---|---|---|
| From the Netherlands to anywhere | EU261 | Any airline |
| From another EU/EEA country or Switzerland to the Netherlands | EU261 | Any airline |
| From the UK to the Netherlands | UK261 (EU261 too on an EU airline) | Any airline |
| From outside Europe to the Netherlands | 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 the Netherlands
Two minutes, free, no sign-up.
How much: example routes from the Netherlands
Compensation per passenger for a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation on the busiest international routes (Eurostat 2024):
| Route | Distance | Outbound | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam Schiphol – Barcelona El Prat | 1,241 km | €250 | €250 |
| Amsterdam Schiphol – Dublin | 750 km | €250 | €250 |
| Amsterdam Schiphol – Madrid Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas | 1,459 km | €250 | €250 |
| Amsterdam Schiphol – Copenhagen | 633 km | €250 | €250 |
| Amsterdam Schiphol – Paris Charles de Gaulle | 399 km | €250 | €250 |
| Amsterdam Schiphol – Lisbon | 1,846 km | €400 | €400 |
| Amsterdam Schiphol – Málaga | 1,883 km | €400 | €400 |
| Amsterdam Schiphol – Stockholm Arlanda | 1,152 km | €250 | €250 |
| Amsterdam Schiphol – Istanbul | 2,183 km | €400 | €400 (an EU airline) |
| Amsterdam Schiphol – Berlin | 593 km | €250 | €250 |
How to claim in the Netherlands
- 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: Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) – Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate – According to ECC Netherlands, the ILT does not handle individual complaints; it supervises airlines. It deals with flights departing from the Netherlands, and flights arriving there from outside the EU.
- 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 Netherlands
Customer service: KLM.
Airports in the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)4.83 min ATFM/arrival
- Eindhoven (EIN)6,209,754 pax
- Rotterdam (RTM)0.01 min ATFM/arrival
- Maastricht (MST)0.04 min ATFM/arrival
- Groningen (GRQ)0.01 min ATFM/arrival
Delay causes, busiest routes and seasonal patterns: flights to the Netherlands · European delay statistics.
Strikes in the Netherlands
No strikes affecting flights in the Netherlands are announced in our strike calendar at the moment.
Strike days at the Netherlands’s airports since 2024
EUROCONTROL recorded no arrival flow restrictions due to industrial action at the Netherlands’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
- There has been no Dutch dispute committee for airlines since 1 January 2012, so if a Dutch airline refuses to pay, the practical routes are a claims agency or the courts – for cross-border claims up to €5,000, the European Small Claims Procedure.
- ECC Netherlands can help with complaints against airlines from other EU countries, but not against Dutch airlines.
- In EUROCONTROL’s data Schiphol had one of the highest average arrival flow-control delays in Europe in 2024 and 2025, split roughly evenly between airport capacity and weather.
- Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands are overseas countries and territories, not part of the EU, so a departure from there is not covered as an EU departure – but a flight from there to Amsterdam on KLM is still covered, because it arrives in the EU on an EU airline.
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation can I get for a delayed flight in the Netherlands?
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 Netherlands if the airline refuses to pay?
To Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) – Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate, the national enforcement body for the Netherlands (According to ECC Netherlands, the ILT does not handle individual complaints; it supervises airlines). It handles complaints about flights departing from the Netherlands and flights arriving there from outside the EU.
How long do I have to claim in the Netherlands?
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 Netherlands. Claim as soon as you can, and check with Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) – Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate or the European Consumer Centre. See time limits by country.
I live in the Netherlands 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
- Step-by-step guide: how do I claim compensation or ask an airline for a refund? – ECC Netherlands
- Passenger rights – air – ILT
- Air passenger rights – settling disputes (11 January 2023) – ECC-Net
- Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 – European Small Claims Procedure (not applicable in Denmark) – EUR-Lex
- Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, Article 355 (territorial application; Faroe Islands; overseas countries and territories) – 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.