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Flights to Sweden: delays, cancellations and your rights

By passengers on routes within Europe in Eurostat’s 2024 data, Stockholm Arlanda – a hub of SAS – was by far Sweden’s busiest airport, followed by Gothenburg Landvetter and Stockholm Bromma. EU261 covers every departure from Sweden, whatever the airline, and flights to Sweden 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

Check compensation or start a claim with AirHelp straight away

In short: Flying to Sweden 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 under UK261. On the way home, EU261 covers every flight leaving Sweden.

Your rights each way

DirectionRulesCovered airlines3h+ delay / late cancellation
Another EU/EEA country or Switzerland → SwedenEU261any airline€250–€400
Sweden → another EU/EEA country or SwitzerlandEU261any airline€250–€400
UK → SwedenUK261any airline£220
Sweden → UKEU261any airline€250
Outside Europe → SwedenEU261only an EU airlineby 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 Sweden or flying from there? See how to claim in Sweden.

Check your flight to or from Sweden

Two minutes, free, no sign-up.

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.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Fee only if successful (35%)
  • AirHelp: Trustpilot 4.5/5

Rather skip the questions? Start a claim with AirHelp straight away

Airports in Sweden

AirportPassengers 2024*ATFM delay per arrival 2025Main cause
Stockholm Arlanda (ARN)20,250,8710.01 minaerodrome capacity (64%)
Gothenburg (GOT)4,684,6760.00 minaccident/incident (72%)
Stockholm Bromma (BMA)984,7030.01 minequipment (ATC) (100%)
Luleå (LLA)902,451––
Malmö (MMX)825,020––
Umeå (UME)633,612––
Stockholm Skavsta (NYO)348,864––
Skellefteå (SFT)307,911––
Visby (VBY)272,173––
Östersund (OSD)222,615––
Kiruna (KRN)216,237––
Ängelholm (AGH)197,280––
Linköping (LPI)127,234––
Halmstad (HAD)69,461––
Ronneby (RNB)58,490––
Kalmar (KLR)57,161––
Växjö (VXO)22,646––

* Passengers on routes reported to Eurostat (both directions).

Routes from the UK to Sweden

From the UK: Stockholm Arlanda is Sweden’s main airport; in the CAA’s 2025 data UK flights also served Gothenburg Landvetter, Västerås, Örebro, Scandinavian Mountains Airport (Sälen) and Pajala in Lapland. Flights departing from Sweden are covered by EU261 whatever the airline; flights from the UK to Sweden by UK261; flights from Sweden to the UK by EU261.

Punctuality of the busiest routes in 2025, from UK Civil Aviation Authority data (departures from UK airports).

RouteFlightsOn time3h+ lateCancelled
London Heathrow – Stockholm5,74185.1%0.10%0.64%
London Gatwick – Stockholm1,88984.2%0.05%0.32%
London Heathrow – Gothenburg1,38782.2%0.21%0.79%
London Stansted – Gothenburg1,33574.3%0.37%0.00%

Busiest European routes

Why flights to Sweden are delayed

In 2025, air traffic flow restrictions held back arrivals at Sweden’s airports by 0.01 minutes per flight on average (EUROCONTROL, 3 airports). The worst month was Sep.

Causes of air traffic flow delay (2025)

  • aerodrome capacity62%
  • weather34%
  • accident/incident2%
  • equipment (ATC)2%

Average ATFM delay per arrival by month (min)

  1. J
  2. F
  3. M
  4. A
  5. M
  6. J
  7. J
  8. A
  9. S
  10. O
  11. N
  12. 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 Sweden are announced in our calendar at the moment.

Strike calendar

Where to complain

  1. The airline first – in writing, with your booking reference. Use our complaint letter generator.
  2. National enforcement body: Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) – Consumer guidance in several languages, including English, on hallakonsument.se..
  3. Dispute resolution: The National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN) handles delayed and cancelled flights. It costs 150 kr (not refunded), its decisions are recommendations, and you must apply within one year of first complaining to the airline; the minimum claim for EU passenger-rights cases is 750 kr.
  4. 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.

Tips for flying to Sweden

  • ARN is not free but cheap: 150 kr. Apply within a year of your first complaint to the airline.
  • Arlanda had almost no arrival flow-control delay in EUROCONTROL’s 2025 data, so if your flight from Stockholm was badly delayed, ask the airline in writing for the specific reason.
  • Konsumentverket’s consumer guide hallakonsument.se explains passenger rights in English as well as Swedish.

Frequently asked questions

Am I covered on a flight to Sweden?

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). From outside Europe you are covered only on an EU airline.

Am I covered on the flight home from Sweden?

Sweden applies EU261 to every departing flight, so you are covered with any airline (€250–€400 on typical routes).

Who enforces passenger rights in Sweden?

Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) – Consumer guidance in several languages, including English, on hallakonsument.se.. 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

  1. National enforcement bodies under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (updated 13 October 2026) – European Commission
  2. Resor – tvisteområden – Allmänna reklamationsnämnden
  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. 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.