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Stuttgart to Kos: flight delays and compensation

67,260 passengers travelled between Stuttgart Airport (STR) and Kos International Airport "Ippokratis" (KGS) 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: Stuttgart–Kos is 1,961 km. A 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation is worth €400 per passenger from Stuttgart and €400 from Kos. 67,260 passengers used the route in 2024.

What you can claim on this route

DirectionRulesCovered airlines3 h+ delay / late cancellation
Stuttgart → KosEU261any airline€400
Kos → StuttgartEU261any airline€400

The amount depends only on distance (1,961 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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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

Strikes that could affect this route

  • 2026-11-25, Greece: public sector (ADEDY) (uncertain)
  • 2026-11-15, Germany: Lufthansa pilots (Vereinigung Cockpit) (watch)

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 Stuttgart (STR)

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, 44,435 flights arrived at STR; 464 of them were held back this way, 281 by more than 15 minutes – an average of 0.25 minutes per arrival.

What caused the ATFM delay

  • ATC capacity36%
  • weather27%
  • ATC staffing24%
  • other11%
  • accident/incident1%
  • equipment (ATC)0%

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: 4 June 2025 – 1,120 minutes, mostly weather; 1 October 2025 – 1,031 minutes, mostly other; 16 July 2025 – 767 minutes, mostly ATC capacity.

2026 so far (to 30 September 2026): 31,374 arrivals, 0.05 minutes of ATFM delay per arrival (better than 2025), mainly weather (39%) and ATC capacity (37%).

Check what happened at STR on your travel day →

What this means for a claim: ATFM delays come from weather (27% here), air traffic control capacity and staffing (60%) 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 Kos (KGS)

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, 12,007 flights arrived at KGS; 790 of them were held back this way, 501 by more than 15 minutes – an average of 1.56 minutes per arrival.

What caused the ATFM delay

  • ATC capacity90%
  • weather6%
  • ATC staffing4%
  • aerodrome capacity0%

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: 26 July 2025 – 722 minutes, mostly ATC capacity; 19 September 2025 – 669 minutes, mostly weather; 5 July 2025 – 511 minutes, mostly ATC capacity.

2026 so far (to 30 September 2026): 10,399 arrivals, 1.60 minutes of ATFM delay per arrival (worse than 2025), mainly ATC capacity (89%) and aerodrome capacity (6%).

Check what happened at KGS on your travel day →

What this means for a claim: ATFM delays come from weather (6% here), air traffic control capacity and staffing (94%) 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 Stuttgart–Kos flight?

The great-circle distance is 1,961 km. From Stuttgart: €400 per passenger (EU261, any airline). From Kos: €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 Stuttgart–Kos 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.