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TAP Air Portugal flight delay and cancellation compensation

Up to €600 compensation per passenger. Was your TAP Air Portugal flight delayed or cancelled, or were you denied boarding? TAP Air Portugal is licensed in the EU, so EU Regulation 261/2004 applies to all its flights. Here is what to expect and what to do.

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: Reading time: 8 min How we write our guides

Check compensation or start a claim with AirHelp straight away

In short: On TAP Air Portugal flights on every route you are entitled to €250–600 compensation for an arrival delay of more than 3 hours, a cancellation notified less than 14 days before departure, or involuntary denied boarding – unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. You can usually claim for flights up to 3 years back.

IATA code
TP
Headquarters
Lisbon
Hub
Lisbon (LIS), Porto (OPO)
Type
Full-service
EU261 scope
all flights

TAP Air Portugal flight delay: when is compensation due?

If your TAP Air Portugal flight reached its final destination at least 3 hours late (counting from when the doors opened), and the cause was within the airline's control – a technical fault, staff shortage, a delay on the previous flight, a strike by its own staff – you are entitled to compensation. It is not due if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances (weather, an air traffic control strike, an airport closure). Read the full conditions here.

Typical TAP Air Portugal routes: London Heathrow–Lisbon, London Gatwick–Lisbon, London Gatwick–Porto, Manchester–Lisbon, Lisbon–Rio de Janeiro, Lisbon–Funchal (Madeira).

TAP Air Portugal flight cancellation: what are you entitled to?

If your flight is cancelled, TAP Air Portugal must offer you a refund of the ticket price (within 7 days) or re-routing on the earliest available flight – including another airline's, if that is quicker. If you were told about the cancellation less than 14 days before departure and the re-routing offered differed significantly from the original flight, you are also entitled to compensation. More on the 14-day rule.

How much compensation for a TAP Air Portugal flight?

Flight distanceDelay on arrivalCompensation per passenger
Up to 1,500 km
e.g. London–Paris, Berlin–Rome, Dublin–Amsterdamover 3 hours€250UK261: £220
1,500–3,500 km, and every flight within the EU over 1,500 km
e.g. London–Athens, Frankfurt–Tenerife, Rome–Tel Avivover 3 hours€400UK261: £350
Over 3,500 km, to or from outside the EU
e.g. London–New York, Frankfurt–Dubai, Paris–Bangkokbetween 3 and 4 hours€300UK261: £260 (reduced by 50%)
Over 3,500 km, to or from outside the EUover 4 hours€600UK261: £520

Check your TAP Air Portugal flight

Two minutes, free, no sign-up.

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

How punctual was TAP Air Portugal in the UK in 2025?

TAP Air Portugal operated 7,635 flights at UK airports in 2025. 0.49% were 3 hours or more late and 1.32% were cancelled – see how that compares with the UK average below and in our UK delay statistics.

Flights operated
7,635

2025, at UK airports

On time (≤ 15 min late)
57.2%

worse than the UK average (72.7%)

3 hours or more late
0.49%

1 in 204 flights · close to the UK average

Cancelled
1.32%

102 flights · worse than the UK average

Average delay
20.8 min

UK average 15.1 min

Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics 2025 – departures and arrivals combined, measured against the schedule at the UK airport. How we use this data

UK airportFlightsOn time3 h+ lateCancelled
London Heathrow4,26557.1%0.37%1.02%
London Gatwick2,40864.3%0.41%1.59%
Manchester96140.1%1.22%1.94%

What to know when claiming from TAP Air Portugal

  • TAP's ‘Delayed / Cancelled flight’ help page tells you to request compensation through its online complaints form (flytap.com → Help → Requests and complaints); you can check the status there with your e-mail and complaint number.
  • TAP is a member of AviationADR (CAA list): after a rejection or 8 weeks without an answer, UK passengers can refer the claim free of charge.
  • TAP's own page quotes compensation ‘between 125 and 600 EUR’ – the lower figures are the 50% reductions that apply when you were re-routed and arrived only slightly late. For an ordinary delay of 3 hours or more the full amount (€250 / €400 / €600, or £220 / £350 / £520 from the UK) applies.

Typical rejection reasons – and how to answer them

  • ‘A disruptive passenger on the previous flight’ – under C-74/19 this can be extraordinary, but TAP must also show it took all reasonable measures to limit the delay to your flight.
  • ‘A technical fault’ – routine technical problems are not extraordinary circumstances (CJEU C-549/07 Wallentin-Hermann).

About TAP Air Portugal

TAP Air Portugal was founded on 14 March 1945 as Transportes Aéreos Portugueses and is based at Lisbon Airport, with a second hub in Porto. A member of Star Alliance since 2005, it has one of the largest networks between Europe and Brazil, which it has served since 1960. Regional flights are operated by TAP Express (formerly Portugália).

From the UK, TAP flies to Lisbon from London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester, and to Porto from Gatwick. In the CAA's 2025 figures only 57.2% of its flights at UK airports were on time, although 0.49% arrived 3 hours or more late.

As a Portuguese airline, TAP is covered by EU261 on all its flights, including flights from Brazil or Africa to Lisbon. The Court of Justice's 2020 judgment in LE v Transportes Aéreos Portugueses (C-74/19) – about a diversion caused by a disruptive passenger – also held that an airline may rely on an extraordinary circumstance that hit an earlier flight of the same aircraft only if it took all reasonable measures to limit the knock-on delay.

How to claim directly from TAP Air Portugal

  • Official online form: flytap.com
  • TAP’s ‘Delayed / Cancelled flight’ help page says to request compensation through this complaints form. UK ADR: AviationADR member.
  • Our complaint letter generator writes the letter for you – filled in, as a printable PDF.

We checked these claim channels on the airline's own website (10 November 2026).

Frequently asked questions

Am I entitled to compensation if my TAP Air Portugal flight was at least 3 hours late?

Yes, if the flight departed from anywhere (it is an EU airline) and the delay was not caused by extraordinary circumstances. The amount depends on the distance: €250, €400 or €600.

How do I submit a claim to TAP Air Portugal?

Directly through the airline's customer service form (https://www.flytap.com/en-gb/help/requests-complaints/complaints), or through our partner AirHelp, which checks the flight data and, if the airline rejects the claim, takes the case to the enforcement body or to court – for a fee of 35% only if it succeeds.

How long do I have to claim for a TAP Air Portugal flight?

Limitation periods vary by country and are set by national law – for example 6 years in England & Wales, 5 years in Scotland and Hungary, and 3 years in Germany (from the end of the year). AirHelp typically accepts claims for flights up to 3 years old.

TAP Air Portugal offered me a voucher instead of compensation. Do I have to accept it?

No. Under the Regulation, compensation is paid in money; the airline may only give you a voucher with your written agreement. If you want money, do not accept it.

Flew with another airline?

The TAP Air Portugal name and trademark belong to their owner; EU261 Flight Delay is an independent information site with no connection to the airline. The content is for information only and is not legal advice. We receive a commission when a claim submitted through our partner links succeeds.

Sources

  1. TAP Air Portugal – official claim / complaints page – TAP Air Portugal
  2. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – EUR-Lex
  4. Delays and cancellations – your rights – UK Civil Aviation Authority

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