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

By passengers on routes within Europe in Eurostat’s 2024 data, Bratislava (M. R. Štefánik) was Slovakia’s busiest airport, followed by Košice. EU261 covers every departure from Slovakia, whatever the airline, and flights to Slovakia 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 Slovakia 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 Slovakia from outside the EU are covered only on EU airlines. Complain to the airline first, then to Slovak Trade Inspection (Slovenská obchodná inšpekcia, SOI), Central Inspectorate or an ADR body, and if needed go to court.

Which flights are covered

Your flightRulesWhich airlines
From Slovakia to anywhereEU261Any airline
From another EU/EEA country or Switzerland to SlovakiaEU261Any airline
From the UK to SlovakiaUK261 (EU261 too on an EU airline)Any airline
From outside Europe to SlovakiaEU261EU 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 Slovakia

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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 Slovakia

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

RouteDistanceOutboundReturn
Bratislava – Antalya1,671 km€400€400 (an EU airline)
Košice – Antalya1,520 km€400€400 (an EU airline)
Bratislava – Milan Bergamo Orio al Serio634 km€250€250
Košice – Vienna350 km€250€250
Košice – Prague530 km€250€250
Bratislava – Skopje772 km€250€250 (an EU airline)
Bratislava – Dublin1,741 km€400€400
Bratislava – Larnaca2,005 km€400€400
Bratislava – Malta1,388 km€250€250
Bratislava – Alghero1,096 km€250€250

How to claim in Slovakia

  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: Slovak Trade Inspection (Slovenská obchodná inšpekcia, SOI), Central Inspectorate – Complain to the airline first; if it has not answered within 8 weeks, or you are not satisfied, send your complaint to SOI (podnety@soi.sk or by post) within two years of the incident. SOI handles flights departing from Slovak airports and flights arriving there from outside the EU. It deals with flights departing from Slovakia, and flights arriving there from outside the EU.
  3. Alternative dispute resolution: SOI is also Slovakia’s general (residual) consumer ADR body, and air transport is not excluded from its remit; SOI names itself as an ADR route for disputes with Slovak-based airlines. The procedure is free and can be in Slovak or English. You must first have tried to settle with the airline, and SOI can refuse an application made more than one year after the airline rejected your claim (or after its 30 days to reply ran out); a settlement is binding once both sides agree to it. For an airline based in another EU country, use an ADR body in that country.
  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.

Airports in Slovakia

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

Strikes in Slovakia

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

Strike days at Slovakia’s airports since 2024

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

  • Send your complaint to SOI within two years of the flight – that is SOI’s own deadline. For a court claim, national limitation periods apply.
  • Bratislava had almost no arrival flow-control delay in EUROCONTROL’s 2024–2025 data, so if your flight from Bratislava was badly delayed, ask the airline in writing for the specific reason.
  • If the airline is based in another EU country, SOI points to that country’s ADR body; for a cross-border court claim up to €5,000, the European Small Claims Procedure is available.

Frequently asked questions

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

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 Slovakia if the airline refuses to pay?

To Slovak Trade Inspection (Slovenská obchodná inšpekcia, SOI), Central Inspectorate, the national enforcement body for Slovakia (Complain to the airline first; if it has not answered within 8 weeks, or you are not satisfied, send your complaint to SOI (podnety@soi.sk or by post) within two years of the incident. SOI handles flights departing from Slovak airports and flights arriving there from outside the EU). It handles complaints about flights departing from Slovakia and flights arriving there from outside the EU. Alternative dispute resolution: SOI is also Slovakia’s general (residual) consumer ADR body, and air transport is not excluded from its remit; SOI names itself as an ADR route for disputes with Slovak-based airlines. The procedure is free and can be in Slovak or English. You must first have tried to settle with the airline, and SOI can refuse an application made more than one year after the airline rejected your claim (or after its 30 days to reply ran out); a settlement is binding once both sides agree to it. For an airline based in another EU country, use an ADR body in that country.

How long do I have to claim in Slovakia?

The time limit depends on which country’s courts hear the claim, and we have not found an authoritative statement of the period for Slovakia. Claim as soon as you can, and check with Slovak Trade Inspection (Slovenská obchodná inšpekcia, SOI), Central Inspectorate or the European Consumer Centre. See time limits by country.

I live in Slovakia 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. Práva cestujúcich v leteckej doprave – Slovenská obchodná inšpekcia
  3. Alternatívne riešenie spotrebiteľských sporov – Slovenská obchodná inšpekcia
  4. Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 – European Small Claims Procedure (not applicable in Denmark) – EUR-Lex
  5. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – full text (Article 3: scope; recital 15: air traffic management decisions) – EUR-Lex
  6. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it applies in the UK (UK261) – Article 3, scope – legislation.gov.uk
  7. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 (flights by destination from UK airports) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  8. Airport arrival ATFM (flow-control) delay data, 2024–2025 – EUROCONTROL Aviation Intelligence Unit
  9. Air passenger transport by reporting airport (avia_par), 2024 – Eurostat
  10. Eurostat – air passenger transport routes between partner airports and main airports (2024) – Eurostat
  11. EUROCONTROL – airport arrival ATFM delays (open performance data) – EUROCONTROL
  12. C-204/08 Rehder v Air Baltic (jurisdiction: place of departure or arrival) – EUR-Lex

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