In short: Milan–Brussels is 665 km. A 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation is worth €250 per passenger from Milan and €250 from Brussels. 114,592 passengers used the route in 2024.
What you can claim on this route
| Direction | Rules | Covered airlines | 3 h+ delay / late cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milan → Brussels | EU261 | any airline | €250 |
| Brussels → Milan | EU261 | any airline | €250 |
The amount depends only on distance (665 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
- 2026-11-20, Italy: general strike (CGIL), also affecting air transport (announced)
- 2026-11-21, Italy: ENAV air traffic controllers (FILT-CGIL, UGL-TA) (announced)
- 2026-11-22, Italy: ENAV controllers at Malpensa (Fast-Confsal); Sicuritalia IVRI security staff at Venice Marco Polo (Fisascat-Cisl) (announced)
- 2026-11-22, Italy: Toscana Aeroporti, GH Toscana and Consulta staff (USB Lavoro Privato) (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 Milan (MXP)
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, 113,154 flights arrived at MXP; 1,777 of them were held back this way, 1,086 by more than 15 minutes – an average of 0.36 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: 27 August 2025 – 1,860 minutes, mostly weather; 16 April 2025 – 1,608 minutes, mostly weather; 1 September 2025 – 1,509 minutes, mostly weather.
2026 so far (to 30 September 2026): 84,437 arrivals, 0.45 minutes of ATFM delay per arrival (worse than 2025), mainly environmental issues (63%) and weather (19%).
Air traffic control strike days recorded for MXP since 2024: 29 November 2024 (125 min); 15 December 2024 (776 min); 10 April 2026 (235 min); 5 July 2026 (748 min).
Check what happened at MXP on your travel day →
What this means for a claim: ATFM delays come from weather (48% here), air traffic control capacity and staffing (0%) 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 Brussels (BRU)
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, 99,734 flights arrived at BRU; 4,611 of them were held back this way, 1,822 by more than 15 minutes – an average of 0.77 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: 28 July 2025 – 3,648 minutes, mostly aerodrome capacity; 11 August 2025 – 3,393 minutes, mostly aerodrome capacity; 12 June 2025 – 3,136 minutes, mostly aerodrome capacity.
2026 so far (to 30 September 2026): 76,526 arrivals, 0.70 minutes of ATFM delay per arrival (better than 2025), mainly equipment (ATC) (39%) and weather (28%).
Check what happened at BRU on your travel day →
What this means for a claim: ATFM delays come from weather (35% 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
- Milan – Barcelona1,287,761 pax
- Brussels – Madrid1,014,125 pax
- Milan – Madrid957,358 pax
- Milan – Catania946,877 pax
- Milan – Paris898,970 pax
- Brussels – Barcelona883,847 pax
- Milan – Istanbul774,884 pax
- Milan – Palermo747,125 pax
- Milan – Lisbon664,606 pax
- Milan – Athens661,894 pax
- Brussels – Rome633,983 pax
- Brussels – Málaga620,931 pax
- Brussels – Alicante544,587 pax
- Milan – Naples543,209 pax
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation for a delayed Milan–Brussels flight?
The great-circle distance is 665 km. From Milan: €250 per passenger (EU261, any airline). From Brussels: €250 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 Milan–Brussels 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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