In short: Every flight departing from Poland 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 Poland from outside the EU are covered only on EU airlines. Complain to the airline first, then to Civil Aviation Authority (ULC): Passengers’ Rights Ombudsman (complaints) and the President of the ULC (enforcement) or an ADR body, and if needed go to court.
Which flights are covered
| Your flight | Rules | Which airlines |
|---|---|---|
| From Poland to anywhere | EU261 | Any airline |
| From another EU/EEA country or Switzerland to Poland | EU261 | Any airline |
| From the UK to Poland | UK261 (EU261 too on an EU airline) | Any airline |
| From outside Europe to Poland | 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 Poland
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How much: example routes from Poland
Compensation per passenger for a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation on the busiest international routes (Eurostat 2024):
| Route | Distance | Outbound | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warsaw Chopin – Antalya | 1,864 km | €400 | €400 (an EU airline) |
| Katowice – Antalya | 1,775 km | €400 | €400 (an EU airline) |
| Warsaw Chopin – Amsterdam Schiphol | 1,101 km | €250 | €250 |
| Warsaw Chopin – Paris Charles de Gaulle | 1,342 km | €250 | €250 |
| Warsaw Chopin – Frankfurt | 897 km | €250 | €250 |
| Warsaw Chopin – Copenhagen | 666 km | €250 | €250 |
| Katowice – Dortmund | 810 km | €250 | €250 |
| Warsaw Chopin – Vienna | 549 km | €250 | €250 |
| Warsaw Chopin – Rome Fiumicino | 1,326 km | €250 | €250 |
| Warsaw Chopin – Munich | 777 km | €250 | €250 |
How to claim in Poland
- 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: Civil Aviation Authority (ULC): Passengers’ Rights Ombudsman (complaints) and the President of the ULC (enforcement) – Online complaint form in Polish and English on pasazerlotniczy.ulc.gov.pl. It deals with flights departing from Poland, and flights arriving there from outside the EU.
- Alternative dispute resolution: The Passengers’ Rights Ombudsman at the President of the Civil Aviation Authority is registered as an ADR body for airline disputes: free for both sides, in writing in Polish or English, with a non-binding outcome.
- 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 Poland
Airports in Poland
- Warsaw Chopin (WAW)0.61 min ATFM/arrival
- Kraków (KRK)0.81 min ATFM/arrival
- Gdańsk (GDN)0.00 min ATFM/arrival
- Katowice (KTW)0.20 min ATFM/arrival
- Wrocław Copernicus (WRO)1.13 min ATFM/arrival
- Poznań (POZ)0.00 min ATFM/arrival
- Warsaw Modlin (WMI)0.01 min ATFM/arrival
- Rzeszów (RZE)0.19 min ATFM/arrival
- Szczecin (SZZ)0.00 min ATFM/arrival
- Łódź Władysław Reymont (LCJ)0.00 min ATFM/arrival
- Lublin (LUZ)0.15 min ATFM/arrival
- Bydgoszcz (BZG)0.00 min ATFM/arrival
- Nowe Kramsko (IEG)0.00 min ATFM/arrival
- Szymany (SZY)0.00 min ATFM/arrival
- Radom (RDO)0.00 min ATFM/arrival
Delay causes, busiest routes and seasonal patterns: flights to Poland · European delay statistics.
Strikes in Poland
No strikes affecting flights in Poland are announced in our strike calendar at the moment.
Strike days at Poland’s airports since 2024
EUROCONTROL recorded no arrival flow restrictions due to industrial action at Poland’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
- ECC Poland warns that the time limit for these claims in Poland is unclear – anywhere from one year to more than a decade depending on the applicable law – so claim as soon as you can.
- The Ombudsman route is free and can be used in English, which makes it a realistic step before court for travellers who do not speak Polish.
- In EUROCONTROL’s 2025 data Wrocław and Kraków had the highest average arrival flow-control delays in Poland – at Kraków mostly weather, peaking in December.
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation can I get for a delayed flight in Poland?
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 Poland if the airline refuses to pay?
To Civil Aviation Authority (ULC): Passengers’ Rights Ombudsman (complaints) and the President of the ULC (enforcement), the national enforcement body for Poland (Online complaint form in Polish and English on pasazerlotniczy.ulc.gov.pl). It handles complaints about flights departing from Poland and flights arriving there from outside the EU. Alternative dispute resolution: The Passengers’ Rights Ombudsman at the President of the Civil Aviation Authority is registered as an ADR body for airline disputes: free for both sides, in writing in Polish or English, with a non-binding outcome.
How long do I have to claim in Poland?
The time limit depends on which country’s courts hear the claim, and we have not found an authoritative statement of the period for Poland. Claim as soon as you can, and check with Civil Aviation Authority (ULC): Passengers’ Rights Ombudsman (complaints) and the President of the ULC (enforcement) or the European Consumer Centre. See time limits by country.
I live in Poland 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
- Rzecznik Praw Pasażerów przy Prezesie Urzędu Lotnictwa Cywilnego – ADR entry – European Commission – consumer redress
- Opóźniony lub odwołany lot – European Consumer Centre Poland
- 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.