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Palermo to Bari: flight delays and compensation

78,593 passengers travelled between Falcone–Borsellino Airport (PMO) and Bari Karol Wojtyła International Airport (BRI) in 2024, according to Eurostat. Here is what a delay or cancellation on this route is worth in each direction, which rules apply, and how often the two airports are hit by air traffic restrictions.

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: How we write our guides

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In short: Palermo–Bari is 455 km. A 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation is worth €250 per passenger from Palermo and €250 from Bari. 78,593 passengers used the route in 2024.

What you can claim on this route

DirectionRulesCovered airlines3 h+ delay / late cancellation
Palermo → BariEU261any airline€250
Bari → PalermoEU261any airline€250

The amount depends only on distance (455 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.

Check your Palermo–Bari flight

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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

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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 Palermo (PMO)

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, 32,233 flights arrived at PMO; 136 of them were held back this way, 54 by more than 15 minutes – an average of 0.06 minutes per arrival.

What caused the ATFM delay

  • aerodrome capacity51%
  • equipment (ATC)39%
  • ATC capacity9%

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

Worst days: 30 October 2025 – 445 minutes, mostly aerodrome capacity; 10 April 2025 – 399 minutes, mostly equipment (ATC); 1 September 2025 – 345 minutes, mostly aerodrome capacity.

2026 so far (to 30 September 2026): 28,499 arrivals, 1.48 minutes of ATFM delay per arrival (worse than 2025), mainly other (69%) and aerodrome capacity (31%).

Air traffic control strike days recorded for PMO since 2024: 11 October 2024 (286 min).

Check what happened at PMO on your travel day →

What this means for a claim: ATFM delays come from weather (0% here), air traffic control capacity and staffing (49%) 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

Frequently asked questions

How much compensation for a delayed Palermo–Bari flight?

The great-circle distance is 455 km. From Palermo: €250 per passenger (EU261, any airline). From Bari: €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 Palermo–Bari 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

  1. Eurostat – air passenger transport routes between partner airports and main airports (2024) – Eurostat
  2. EUROCONTROL – airport arrival ATFM delays (open performance data) – EUROCONTROL
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – EUR-Lex

We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.