In short: Lisbon–Zurich is 1,723 km. A 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation is worth €400 per passenger from Lisbon and €400 from Zurich. 652,212 passengers used the route in 2024.
What you can claim on this route
| Direction | Rules | Covered airlines | 3 h+ delay / late cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisbon → Zurich | EU261 | any airline | €400 |
| Zurich → Lisbon | EU261 | any airline | €400 |
The amount depends only on distance (1,723 km, measured as the great circle between the airports) – not on the ticket price – and is paid per passenger, children included. Whatever the cause, from 2 hours’ delay the airline must provide care (meals, drinks, a hotel overnight), and after a cancellation you choose between a refund or re-routing.
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Strikes that could affect this route
- 2026-12-19–2026-12-23, Portugal: easyJet cabin crew based in Portugal (SNPVAC) (announced)
Strikes by air traffic controllers or airport staff usually count as extraordinary circumstances; strikes by the airline’s own staff usually do not. Strike calendar.
Air traffic flow delays at Lisbon (LIS)
EUROCONTROL records the delay imposed on arriving flights when the airport or the airspace around it cannot take more traffic (air traffic flow management, “ATFM”). In 2025, 115,294 flights arrived at LIS; 16,625 of them were held back this way, 7,508 by more than 15 minutes – an average of 2.83 minutes per arrival.
What caused the ATFM delay
Average ATFM delay per arrival by month (min)
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Worst days: 17 March 2025 – 8,826 minutes, mostly weather; 31 December 2025 – 8,444 minutes, mostly weather; 20 January 2025 – 6,909 minutes, mostly weather.
2026 so far (to 30 September 2026): 87,320 arrivals, 1.86 minutes of ATFM delay per arrival (better than 2025), mainly weather (56%) and aerodrome capacity (41%).
Check what happened at LIS on your travel day →
What this means for a claim: ATFM delays come from weather (69% here), air traffic control capacity and staffing (1%) or airport limits – causes airlines often cite as extraordinary circumstances. They are only part of the story: most long delays come from the airline’s own operation (technical faults, crew, late inbound aircraft), which this data does not show. Source: EUROCONTROL.
Air traffic flow delays at Zurich (ZRH)
EUROCONTROL records the delay imposed on arriving flights when the airport or the airspace around it cannot take more traffic (air traffic flow management, “ATFM”). In 2025, 133,877 flights arrived at ZRH; 19,525 of them were held back this way, 7,395 by more than 15 minutes – an average of 2.44 minutes per arrival.
What caused the ATFM delay
Average ATFM delay per arrival by month (min)
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Worst days: 9 May 2025 – 13,287 minutes, mostly weather; 6 April 2025 – 8,351 minutes, mostly weather; 2 April 2025 – 6,691 minutes, mostly weather.
2026 so far (to 30 September 2026): 105,079 arrivals, 2.63 minutes of ATFM delay per arrival (worse than 2025), mainly other (36%) and weather (34%).
Check what happened at ZRH on your travel day →
What this means for a claim: ATFM delays come from weather (48% here), air traffic control capacity and staffing (3%) or airport limits – causes airlines often cite as extraordinary circumstances. They are only part of the story: most long delays come from the airline’s own operation (technical faults, crew, late inbound aircraft), which this data does not show. Source: EUROCONTROL.
Other routes from these airports
- Lisbon – Madrid1,906,228 pax
- Lisbon – Paris1,545,371 pax
- Lisbon – Madeira1,395,044 pax
- Lisbon – Barcelona1,305,408 pax
- Lisbon – Amsterdam1,045,272 pax
- Lisbon – Ponta Delgada934,111 pax
- Zurich – Berlin861,501 pax
- Zurich – Amsterdam816,734 pax
- Zurich – Madrid760,806 pax
- Lisbon – Porto755,832 pax
- Zurich – Vienna750,117 pax
- Lisbon – Frankfurt733,217 pax
- Zurich – Barcelona729,601 pax
- Zurich – Palma de Mallorca725,871 pax
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation for a delayed Lisbon–Zurich flight?
The great-circle distance is 1,723 km. From Lisbon: €400 per passenger (EU261, any airline). From Zurich: €400 per passenger (EU261, any airline). The delay at your final destination must be 3 hours or more, and the airline must not be able to prove extraordinary circumstances.
Is a Lisbon–Zurich flight covered if the airline is not European?
Yes. Both airports apply EU261 (or UK261) to every departing flight, so the airline’s nationality does not matter in either direction.
What if the flight was cancelled?
You can choose a refund or re-routing, get care while you wait, and – unless you were told at least 14 days before departure or the airline proves extraordinary circumstances – fixed compensation. Cancelled flight compensation.
Passenger numbers: Eurostat 2024 (passengers carried between the two airports, both directions). Delay data: EUROCONTROL. Information only, not legal advice.
Sources
- Eurostat – air passenger transport routes between partner airports and main airports (2024) – Eurostat
- EUROCONTROL – airport arrival ATFM delays (open performance data) – EUROCONTROL
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – EUR-Lex
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