In short: Flying to Turkey 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 £350 under UK261. On the way home you are covered only on an EU airline (into the EU) or a UK or EU airline (into the UK). Local rules may help on airlines from there.
Your rights each way
| Direction | Rules | Covered airlines | 3h+ delay / late cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Another EU/EEA country or Switzerland → Turkey | EU261 | any airline | €250–€400 |
| Turkey → another EU/EEA country or Switzerland | EU261 | only an EU airline | €250–€400 |
| UK → Turkey | UK261 | any airline | £350 |
| Turkey → UK | UK261 | only a UK or EU airline | £350 |
| Outside Europe → Turkey | none | – | – |
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.
Local rules: Turkey’s Regulation on the Rights of Passengers Travelling by Air (SHY-YOLCU, Official Gazette 3 December 2011) covers Turkish airlines and, for foreign airlines, all flights departing from Turkish airports. An amendment in force since 10 December 2024 gives compensation when a passenger reaches the final destination 3 hours or more late for technical or operational reasons: €100 for domestic flights, and €250 (up to 1,500 km), €400 (1,500–3,500 km) or €600 (over 3,500 km) for international flights, paid in Turkish lira at the Central Bank selling rate on the day of payment.
Check your flight to or from Turkey
Two minutes, free, no sign-up.
Airports in Turkey
| Airport | Passengers 2024* | ATFM delay per arrival 2025 | Main cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul (IST) | 43,272,894 | 0.05 min | weather (99%) |
| Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) | 32,849,965 | 0.29 min | aerodrome capacity (55%) |
| Antalya (AYT) | 27,588,477 | 0.90 min | aerodrome capacity (91%) |
| Ankara (ESB) | 11,121,355 | 0.07 min | weather (100%) |
| Izmir (ADB) | 9,961,355 | 0.07 min | accident/incident (49%) |
| Dalaman (DLM) | 4,613,918 | – | – |
| Bodrum (BJV) | 3,514,721 | – | – |
| Trabzon (TZX) | 2,888,112 | – | – |
| Gaziantep (GZT) | 2,852,126 | – | – |
| Kayseri (ASR) | 2,482,986 | – | – |
| Diyarbakır (DIY) | 2,105,469 | – | – |
| Adana (COV) | 1,804,864 | – | – |
| Van (VAN) | 1,580,433 | – | – |
| Samsun (SZF) | 1,421,975 | – | – |
| Erzurum (ERZ) | 1,177,465 | – | – |
| Rize (RZV) | 1,076,912 | – | – |
| Ordu (OGU) | 935,318 | – | – |
| Elazığ (EZS) | 922,261 | – | – |
| Şanlıurfa (GNY) | 902,055 | – | – |
| Konya (KYA) | 819,963 | – | – |
| Alanya (GZP) | 798,726 | – | – |
| Malatya (MLX) | 794,647 | – | – |
| Mardin (MQM) | 767,841 | – | – |
| Nevşehir (NAV) | 714,471 | – | – |
| Batman (BAL) | 641,270 | – | – |
| Kars (KSY) | 584,230 | – | – |
| Muş (MSR) | 503,572 | – | – |
| Erzincan (ERC) | 429,559 | – | – |
| Şırnak (NKT) | 416,637 | – | – |
| Sivas (VAS) | 408,146 | – | – |
* Passengers on routes reported to Eurostat (both directions).
Routes from the UK to Turkey
From the UK: Turkey is one of the busiest non-EU destinations from UK airports; in the CAA’s 2025 data the most-served Turkish airports were Antalya, Istanbul, Dalaman, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen, Bodrum and Izmir. Your flight from the UK to Turkey is covered by UK261 whatever the airline. The return flight is covered by UK261 only if a UK or EU airline operates it (and not if you received benefits or compensation and assistance under local rules); a flight from Turkey to the EU is covered by EU261 only on an EU airline.
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 Heathrow – Istanbul | 6,497 | 78.4% | 0.17% | 0.44% |
| London Stansted – Istanbul | 5,305 | 71.4% | 0.17% | 0.43% |
| Manchester – Antalya | 4,127 | 54.8% | 0.63% | 0.17% |
| London Gatwick – Antalya | 3,781 | 57.7% | 0.74% | 0.55% |
| London Gatwick – Istanbul | 3,598 | 76.7% | 0.42% | 0.17% |
| Manchester – Istanbul | 3,003 | 70.4% | 0.50% | 0.53% |
| London Gatwick – Dalaman | 2,726 | 60.5% | 0.62% | 0.51% |
| Manchester – Dalaman | 2,712 | 60.0% | 0.40% | 0.40% |
| London Stansted – Antalya | 2,316 | 63.9% | 0.56% | 0.13% |
| Birmingham – Antalya | 2,062 | 51.2% | 0.53% | 0.58% |
| Birmingham – Istanbul | 1,592 | 74.3% | 0.12% | 0.69% |
| London Stansted – Izmir | 1,542 | 77.9% | 0.52% | 0.39% |
| Birmingham – Dalaman | 1,513 | 67.7% | 0.40% | 0.26% |
| Manchester – Istanbul | 1,402 | 62.6% | 0.63% | 1.20% |
| London Luton – Antalya | 1,249 | 62.5% | 0.08% | 0.40% |
| London Stansted – Dalaman | 1,209 | 67.6% | 0.58% | 0.17% |
| Bristol – Antalya | 1,198 | 51.6% | 0.17% | 0.17% |
| Edinburgh – Istanbul | 1,187 | 77.5% | 0.33% | 1.66% |
| Newcastle – Antalya | 1,081 | 68.6% | 0.19% | 0.00% |
| Glasgow – Antalya | 1,030 | 67.5% | 0.39% | 0.00% |
Busiest European routes
- Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen – Antalya2,357,074 pax
- Istanbul – Izmir1,899,873 pax
- Istanbul – Antalya1,743,262 pax
- Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen – Izmir1,724,367 pax
- Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen – Tymbou (Kirklar)1,547,419 pax
- Istanbul – Ankara1,497,202 pax
- Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen – Trabzon1,406,683 pax
- Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen – Ankara1,329,543 pax
- Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen – Bodrum1,196,709 pax
- Antalya – Düsseldorf1,119,151 pax
- Antalya – Cologne1,022,489 pax
- Istanbul – Paris Charles de Gaulle1,010,453 pax
- Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen – Dalaman1,001,953 pax
- Istanbul – Athens981,717 pax
- Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen – Kayseri973,410 pax
- Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen – Gaziantep908,584 pax
- Ankara – Izmir875,721 pax
- Amsterdam Schiphol – Istanbul866,371 pax
- Istanbul – Frankfurt844,658 pax
- Istanbul – Gaziantep825,761 pax
Why flights to Turkey are delayed
In 2025, air traffic flow restrictions held back arrivals at Turkey’s airports by 0.27 minutes per flight on average (EUROCONTROL, 5 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 Turkey 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.
- Authority: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM) – SHGM supervises airlines’ compliance with the SHY-YOLCU passenger-rights regulation (Art. 20); passengers keep the right to go to court (Art. 19)..
- 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 Turkey
- Your flight home from Turkey can fall under both SHY-YOLCU (which covers all departures from Turkey) and EU261 (into the EU on an EU airline) or UK261 (into the UK on a UK or EU airline) – but EU261 and UK261 do not apply if you already received benefits or compensation and assistance under the Turkish rules, so say which rules you rely on.
- On a Turkish airline flying from Turkey to the EU or the UK, neither EU261 nor UK261 applies; SHY-YOLCU does, including compensation for 3h+ delays caused by technical or operational reasons.
- In EUROCONTROL’s data Antalya had the highest average arrival flow-control delay of Turkey’s big airports, mostly attributed to airport capacity, with August the worst month in 2025.
- Turkey is a party to the Montreal Convention 1999, so airline liability for proven delay costs and baggage problems follows the Convention.
Frequently asked questions
Am I covered on a flight to Turkey?
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 (£350). From outside Europe you are covered by neither rule.
Am I covered on the flight home from Turkey?
Flights from Turkey into the EU are covered by EU261 only on an EU airline, and into the UK by UK261 only on a UK or EU airline. With a Turkey airline you are not covered by EU261 or UK261.
Turkey’s Regulation on the Rights of Passengers Travelling by Air (SHY-YOLCU, Official Gazette 3 December 2011) covers Turkish airlines and, for foreign airlines, all flights departing from Turkish airports. An amendment in force since 10 December 2024 gives compensation when a passenger reaches the final destination 3 hours or more late for technical or operational reasons: €100 for domestic flights, and €250 (up to 1,500 km), €400 (1,500–3,500 km) or €600 (over 3,500 km) for international flights, paid in Turkish lira at the Central Bank selling rate on the day of payment.
Who enforces passenger rights in Turkey?
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM) – SHGM supervises airlines’ compliance with the SHY-YOLCU passenger-rights regulation (Art. 20); passengers keep the right to go to court (Art. 19).. 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
- Havayolu ile Seyahat Eden Yolcuların Haklarına Dair Yönetmelik (SHY-YOLCU), Resmî Gazete 3 December 2011, no. 28131 – Resmî Gazete
- Amendment to SHY-YOLCU, Resmî Gazete 10 December 2024, no. 32748 – Resmî Gazete
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it applies in the UK (UK261) – Article 3, scope – legislation.gov.uk
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – full text (Article 3: scope; recital 15: air traffic management decisions) – EUR-Lex
- Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air (Montreal, 1999) – list of parties – ICAO
- 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.