In short: Flying to Hungary from elsewhere in Europe, a delay of 3 hours or more is worth €250–€400 per passenger on typical routes (EU261, any airline); from the UK £220–£350 under UK261. On the way home, EU261 covers every flight leaving Hungary.
Your rights each way
| Direction | Rules | Covered airlines | 3h+ delay / late cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Another EU/EEA country or Switzerland → Hungary | EU261 | any airline | €250–€400 |
| Hungary → another EU/EEA country or Switzerland | EU261 | any airline | €250–€400 |
| UK → Hungary | UK261 | any airline | £220–£350 |
| Hungary → UK | EU261 | any airline | €250–€400 |
| Outside Europe → Hungary | EU261 | only an EU airline | by distance, up to €600 |
Amounts are per passenger and depend on the great-circle distance between your airports – the ranges cover the busiest routes. Whatever the cause, from 2 hours’ delay the airline must provide meals and drinks, and a hotel if you are stuck overnight – where EU261 or UK261 applies. Living in Hungary or flying from there? See how to claim in Hungary.
Check your flight to or from Hungary
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Airports in Hungary
| Airport | Passengers 2024* | ATFM delay per arrival 2025 | Main cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budapest (BUD) | 14,432,585 | 0.04 min | aerodrome capacity (73%) |
| Debrecen (DEB) | 242,546 | – | – |
* Passengers on routes reported to Eurostat (both directions).
Routes from the UK to Hungary
From the UK: Budapest Ferenc Liszt is Hungary’s main airport; in the CAA’s 2025 data UK flights also served Debrecen and Sármellék (Balaton). Flights departing from Hungary are covered by EU261 whatever the airline; flights from the UK to Hungary by UK261; flights from Hungary to the UK by EU261.
Punctuality of the busiest routes in 2025, from UK Civil Aviation Authority data (departures from UK airports).
| Route | Flights | On time | 3h+ late | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Stansted – Budapest | 2,744 | 73.5% | 0.29% | 0.25% |
| London Heathrow – Budapest | 2,632 | 80.1% | 0.26% | 0.64% |
| London Luton – Budapest | 2,160 | 75.3% | 0.23% | 0.00% |
| London Gatwick – Budapest | 1,815 | 72.9% | 0.66% | 0.11% |
| Manchester – Budapest | 1,275 | 69.9% | 0.31% | 0.08% |
Busiest European routes
- Istanbul – Budapest518,108 pax
- Frankfurt – Budapest482,651 pax
- Barcelona El Prat – Budapest482,297 pax
- Amsterdam Schiphol – Budapest443,100 pax
- Milan Malpensa – Budapest425,606 pax
- Madrid Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas – Budapest380,608 pax
- Berlin – Budapest360,756 pax
- Copenhagen – Budapest357,711 pax
- Warsaw Chopin – Budapest339,224 pax
- Budapest – Basel335,244 pax
- Munich – Budapest317,532 pax
- Budapest – Brussels Charleroi301,684 pax
- Paris Charles de Gaulle – Budapest281,528 pax
- Athens – Budapest276,080 pax
- Rome Fiumicino – Budapest259,773 pax
- Budapest – Eindhoven257,054 pax
- Zurich – Budapest247,818 pax
- Milan Bergamo Orio al Serio – Budapest246,022 pax
- Budapest – Rome Ciampino241,807 pax
- Budapest – Bari214,276 pax
Why flights to Hungary are delayed
In 2025, air traffic flow restrictions held back arrivals at Hungary’s airports by 0.04 minutes per flight on average (EUROCONTROL, 1 airports). The worst month was Oct.
Causes of air traffic flow delay (2025)
Average ATFM delay per arrival by month (min)
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Weather and air traffic control restrictions are usually extraordinary circumstances – but the airline must show they caused your delay. Check what happened on your travel day.
Strikes
No strikes affecting flights in Hungary are announced in our calendar at the moment.
Where to complain
- The airline first – in writing, with your booking reference. Use our complaint letter generator.
- 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..
- 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.
- From the UK: if you flew from a UK airport or with a UK airline, you can also use UK ADR, the CAA or the small claims court.
Time limit: 5 years from when the claim became due (general rule, Civil Code – Act V of 2013 – s.6:22).
Tips for flying to Hungary
- 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
Am I covered on a flight to Hungary?
From anywhere in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, yes: EU261 covers every departing flight, whatever the airline – €250–€400 per passenger on typical routes if you arrive 3 hours or more late. From the UK, UK261 covers every departing flight (£220–£350). From outside Europe you are covered only on an EU airline.
Am I covered on the flight home from Hungary?
Hungary applies EU261 to every departing flight, so you are covered with any airline (€250–€400 on typical routes).
Who enforces passenger rights in Hungary?
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.. Complain to the airline first; if it rejects you or does not answer, you can turn to this body. All national enforcement bodies.
Are strikes covered?
It depends whose staff are on strike. Air traffic control or airport strikes are usually extraordinary circumstances; strikes by the airline’s own staff are not (CJEU C-28/20). See strikes and compensation.
Data: Eurostat 2024, EUROCONTROL, UK Civil Aviation Authority 2025. Information only, not legal advice.
Sources
- National enforcement bodies under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (updated 13 October 2026) – European Commission
- Judgment C-597/20 LOT (29 September 2022) – EUR-Lex
- Budapesti Békéltető Testület – gyakori kérdések – Budapesti Békéltető Testület
- Budapesti Békéltető Testület – ADR entry – European Commission – consumer redress
- Act V of 2013 on the Civil Code – Nemzeti Jogszabálytár
- 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
- UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.