Whenever flights get cancelled or delayed, it can be frustrating and inconvenient for passengers. However, the EU has a regulation 261 that helps protect passengers in such situations. According to EU 261/2004, if your flight is delayed or cancelled, the airline has to provide you with compensation and assistance.
Passenger Rights Under EU 261/2004
EU Regulation 261 is the legislation that deals with the rights of air passengers. Specifically, this regulation covers diverse cases, such as rebooking, delays, flight cancellations, etc., and requires airlines to resolve individual cases with fairness and care. If the situation occurs due to the airline’s fault, any passenger who underwent certain inconveniences is entitled to obtain compensation. In addition, travelers may be eligible for certain benefits, which we will discuss further in the article.
Right to Compensation
EU Regulation 261 encompasses rules concerning the process of compensation, including aid to people experiencing flight problems. Specifically, the amount of compensation you can potentially get is up to 600 euros per person. This sum ranges, depending on your specific case.
Compensation for Ethiopian Airlines Flight Cancellation
First and foremost, passengers need to know that the airline must inform them about the cancellation of their flight. If the airline notifies you under fourteen days before the date of your flight and does not offer any alternative flight, the airline, according to the EU 261/2004, must pay you compensation of 250 – 600 euros.
At the same time, if a passenger is offered an alternative flight but reaches his destination later than the scheduled arrival time of the original flight, the passenger may also be eligible for compensation. The table below shows the airline’s obligations depending on the length of the delay:
| Under 2 hours | 2-3 hours | 3-4 hours | Over 4 hours | Never arrived | Distance |
| €125 | €250 | €250 | €250 | €250 | All flights 1,500 km or less |
| €200 | €200 | €400 | €400 | €400 | Internal EU flights over 1,500 km |
| €200 | €200 | €400 | €400 | €400 | Non-internal EU flights 1,500 km- 3,500 km |
| €300 | €300 | €300 | €600 | €600 | Non-internal EU flights over 3,500 km |
Compensation for Ethiopian Airlines Flight Delay
When a flight is delayed for 3+ hours, the airline is required to provide compensation. If the flight is delayed for five or more hours, the passenger is entitled to a ticket refund or another flight to the final destination.
Furthermore, in such situations, the airline must also provide a passenger with food, drinks, and accommodation. See essential details on compensation in the table below:
| Less than 3 hours | Between 3-4 hours | Over 4 hours | Distance |
| €0 | €250 | €250 | All flights up to 1500 km |
| €0 | €400 | €400 | All flights between 1500 km and 3500 km |
| €0 | €400 | €400 | All intra-EU flights over 3500 km |
| €0 | €300 | €600 | All non-EU flights over 3500 km |
Right to Care
Right to Care refers to a specific aspect of EU Regulation 261/2004, which sets out common rules on assistance and compensation for travelers in cases of flight cancellations, long delays, or denied boarding.
The “Right to Care” under EU 261/2004 requires airlines to provide certain services and assistance to passengers experiencing significant delays or cancellations. These include:
- Food and drinks appropriate to the waiting time
- Hotel accommodation if an overnight stay becomes necessary
- Transport between the airport and the hotel
- Emails or faxes and two free phone calls
Upgrading and Downgrading
In situations where a passenger gets an alternative flight, it is good to understand upgrading and downgrading the flight’s class.
In cases, when the airline provides you with a higher class (for instance, you had Economy but were upgraded to Business class), you will not be charged additional fees for this upgrade.
Regarding downgrading in class (if you had a Business class flight, but were downgraded to Economy), you have a right to receive reimbursement. Here, you should be aware that the amount of compensation fully depends on the distance of a flight:
- 30% of the flight tickets cost for a 1,500 km distance or less;
- 50% of the flight tickets cost (specifically, for intra-EU flights that are over 1,500 km and all other flights with a 1,500 km and 3,500 km distance;
- 75% of the ticket price for flights with a 3,500+ km distance.
Keep in mind that these rights cover all flights within the European Union, as well as flights departing from or arriving in the European Union by airlines based in the EU.
When Are You Not Entitled to Compensation?
Unfortunately, there are situations, when passengers will not receive compensation for delayed or cancelled flights. Specifically, we refer to extraordinary circumstances that are beyond the airline’s control. A few examples are as follows:
- Bad weather conditions and natural disasters;
- Political circumstances (related security risks, terrorist attacks);
- A collision of the aircraft and foreign objects (birds, for instance);
- Unruly or very ill passengers;
- Strikes (that are not caused by the airline’s crew).
In addition, if the airline potentially could have done something to avoid issues regarding the flight and failed to handle the situation, you might be entitled to compensation.
Which Flights are Covered by EU 261/2004?
EU 261 applies to all flights departing from European Union airports. This regulation also extends to flights arriving in the EU if the airline originates in the EU. This includes airlines from EU countries as well as Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.
However, Ethiopian Airlines isn’t a European airline. Consequently, they aren’t required to pay compensation if their flights operate outside of the European Union. This is true even for their flights to the European Union if they start outside the EU.
| Itinerary | Covered by EU 261 |
| Flights departing from the EU airports | ✔️ Yes |
| Flights arriving at the EU airports | ❌ No |
How to Claim Ethiopian Airlines Compensation
Flight cancellation or delay is an unpleasant situation that can not only upset you but also ruin all your travel plans. Passengers who unfortunately encounter a flight cancellation or delay should be aware of the process to claim compensation. To apply for compensation, follow these steps:
- Complete this form. You’ll need to provide details including your flight number, date, and what went wrong.
- Let our experts help you. Once you submit the form, our team will handle the rest. We understand the EU laws thoroughly and will do our best to obtain your rightful compensation. You only pay us if we win your case.
Recent Flight Delays and Cancellations
Was your flight delayed or cancelled without a valid reason? Check our table for the latest flight delays and cancellations. Assess your right to compensation using our claim checker, and let us protect your rights and pursue compensation for you.
Did not find your flight in our table? Try our compensation form, and we will check it for you.
| Date | Flight number | Route | Status | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
02.07.202519:20 | Ethiopian Airlines 1290 | Seoul (ICN) Tokyo (KIX) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
02.07.202517:00 | Ethiopian Airlines 1297 | Tokyo (KIX) Seoul (ICN) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
02.07.202514:45 | Ethiopian Airlines 1310 | Brisbane (BNE) Singapore (SIN) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
02.07.202513:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 4042 | Rome (FCO) Bari (BRI) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
02.07.202511:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 1755 | Mumbai (BOM) Goa (GOI) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
02.07.202510:50 | Ethiopian Airlines 1151 | New Delhi (DEL) Goa (GOI) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
02.07.202509:10 | Ethiopian Airlines 881 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Blantyre (BLZ) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
02.07.202508:05 | Ethiopian Airlines 1162 | Jeddah (JED) Riyadh (RUH) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
02.07.202507:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 728 | Geneva (GVA) Manchester (MAN) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
02.07.202500:25 | Ethiopian Airlines 827 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Dar Es Salaam (DAR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
02.07.202500:10 | Ethiopian Airlines 3576 | Liege (LGG) Bogota (BOG) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202523:10 | Ethiopian Airlines 686 | Addis Ababa (ADD) New Delhi (DEL) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202522:45 | Ethiopian Airlines 4410 | Goa (GOI) Mumbai (BOM) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202522:25 | Ethiopian Airlines 3402 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Riyadh (RUH) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202522:15 | Ethiopian Airlines 1159 | Kolkata (CCU) Mumbai (BOM) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202521:45 | Ethiopian Airlines 600 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Dubai (DXB) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202520:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 4415 | Kolkata (CCU) New Delhi (DEL) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202520:20 | Ethiopian Airlines 1072 | Ahmedabad (AMD) New Delhi (DEL) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202520:10 | Ethiopian Airlines 1157 | Sydney (SYD) New Delhi (DEL) | Cancelled | Claim Refund |
01.07.202520:00 | Ethiopian Airlines 1083 | Hyderabad (HYD) New Delhi (DEL) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202518:50 | Ethiopian Airlines 1556 | Dusseldorf (DUS) Frankfurt (FRA) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202518:20 | Ethiopian Airlines 640 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Mumbai (BOM) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202517:40 | Ethiopian Airlines 1586 | Helsinki (HEL) Frankfurt (FRA) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202517:40 | Ethiopian Airlines 4411 | Mumbai (BOM) Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202517:35 | Ethiopian Airlines 8801 | New Delhi (DEL) Beirut (BEY) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202516:20 | Ethiopian Airlines 1763 | New Delhi (DEL) Kochi (COK) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202515:45 | Ethiopian Airlines 159 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Asosa (ASO) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202515:45 | Ethiopian Airlines 1160 | Chennai (MAA) Mumbai (BOM) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202515:20 | Ethiopian Airlines 1558 | Toulouse (TLS) Frankfurt (FRA) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202515:20 | Ethiopian Airlines 4407 | New Delhi (DEL) Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202515:00 | Ethiopian Airlines 212 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Jijiga (JIJ) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202514:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 168 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Gondar (GDQ) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202514:05 | Ethiopian Airlines 1027 | Lome (LFW) Ouagadougou (OUA) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202513:20 | Ethiopian Airlines 4014 | Rome (FCO) Trieste (TRS) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202512:35 | Ethiopian Airlines 244 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bahar Dar (BJR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202512:35 | Ethiopian Airlines 1356 | New York (IAD) Boston (BOS) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202511:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 811 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bujumbura (BJM) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202511:20 | Ethiopian Airlines 1730 | Lisbon (LIS) Brussels (BRU) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202511:15 | Ethiopian Airlines 4087 | Trieste (TRS) Rome (FCO) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202510:35 | Ethiopian Airlines 959 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bangui (BGF) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202509:45 | Ethiopian Airlines 1627 | Frankfurt (FRA) Zurich (ZRH) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202509:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 4018 | Rome (FCO) Bari (BRI) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202509:25 | Ethiopian Airlines 1611 | Frankfurt (FRA) Helsinki (HEL) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202509:20 | Ethiopian Airlines 1294 | Seoul (ICN) Tokyo (CTS) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202509:15 | Ethiopian Airlines 388 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Garoe (GGR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202508:50 | Ethiopian Airlines 376 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Mogadishu (MGQ) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202508:15 | Ethiopian Airlines 186 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bahar Dar (BJR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202507:50 | Ethiopian Airlines 1577 | Frankfurt (FRA) Amsterdam (AMS) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202507:40 | Ethiopian Airlines 1565 | Frankfurt (FRA) Gothenburg (GOT) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202507:35 | Ethiopian Airlines 194 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bahar Dar (BJR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202507:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 1563 | Frankfurt (FRA) Dusseldorf (DUS) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202506:50 | Ethiopian Airlines 294 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bahar Dar (BJR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202506:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 286 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bahar Dar (BJR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202506:25 | Ethiopian Airlines 206 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Dire Dawa (DIR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
01.07.202504:15 | Ethiopian Airlines 3707 | Hong Kong (HKG) Budapest (BUD) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202523:55 | Ethiopian Airlines 628 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bangkok (BKK) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202523:00 | Ethiopian Airlines 1168 | Dubai (DXB) Riyadh (RUH) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202523:00 | Ethiopian Airlines 4250 | Dubai (DXB) Colombo (CMB) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202522:18 | Ethiopian Airlines 1356 | New York (IAD) Boston (BOS) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202521:55 | Ethiopian Airlines 963 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Douala (DLA) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202521:45 | Ethiopian Airlines 1167 | Dubai (DXB) Jeddah (JED) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202521:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 4565 | Riyadh (RUH) Dammam (DMM) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202519:10 | Ethiopian Airlines 4044 | Bologna (BLQ) Rome (FCO) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202518:45 | Ethiopian Airlines 1209 | Zurich (ZRH) Vienna (VIE) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202518:40 | Ethiopian Airlines 1823 | Durban (DUR) Johannesburg (JNB) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202518:25 | Ethiopian Airlines 4251 | Colombo (CMB) Dubai (DXB) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202517:45 | Ethiopian Airlines 280 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Dire Dawa (DIR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202517:40 | Ethiopian Airlines 4411 | Mumbai (BOM) Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202517:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 4417 | Kolkata (CCU) Mumbai (BOM) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202517:20 | Ethiopian Airlines 222 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Dire Dawa (DIR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202517:10 | Ethiopian Airlines 1040 | Douala (NSI) (NDJ) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202516:55 | Ethiopian Airlines 1820 | Johannesburg (JNB) Durban (DUR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202516:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 179 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Awassa (AWA) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202515:55 | Ethiopian Airlines 364 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Dire Dawa (DIR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202515:50 | Ethiopian Airlines 1005 | Accra (ACC) Monrovia (ROB) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202515:45 | Ethiopian Airlines 133 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Jimma (JIM) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202515:45 | Ethiopian Airlines 1872 | Kuwait City (KWI) Riyadh (RUH) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202515:40 | Ethiopian Airlines 1161 | Jeddah (JED) Dammam (DMM) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202515:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 226 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Jijiga (JIJ) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202515:10 | Ethiopian Airlines 135 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Arba Mintch (AMH) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202514:55 | Ethiopian Airlines 142 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bahar Dar (BJR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202514:45 | Ethiopian Airlines 212 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Jijiga (JIJ) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202514:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 835 | Umiujaq (YUD) Inukjuak (YPH) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202514:15 | Ethiopian Airlines 240 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bahar Dar (BJR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202514:05 | Ethiopian Airlines 1027 | Lome (LFW) Ouagadougou (OUA) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202513:45 | Ethiopian Airlines 151 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Gambela (GMB) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202513:35 | Ethiopian Airlines 1034 | Lome (LFW) Douala (DLA) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202513:35 | Ethiopian Airlines 1873 | Riyadh (RUH) Kuwait City (KWI) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202513:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 126 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bahar Dar (BJR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202513:20 | Ethiopian Airlines 4014 | Rome (FCO) Trieste (TRS) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202513:15 | Ethiopian Airlines 4035 | Rome (FCO) Turin (TRN) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202512:40 | Ethiopian Airlines 244 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bahar Dar (BJR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202512:05 | Ethiopian Airlines 264 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Axum (AXU) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202511:50 | Ethiopian Airlines 188 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bahar Dar (BJR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202511:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 811 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bujumbura (BJM) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202510:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 933 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Monrovia (ROB) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202510:15 | Ethiopian Airlines 120 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Lalibela (LLI) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202510:10 | Ethiopian Airlines 182 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Bahar Dar (BJR) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202509:40 | Ethiopian Airlines 1868 | Riyadh (RUH) Amman (AMM) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
30.06.202509:30 | Ethiopian Airlines 1627 | Frankfurt (FRA) Zurich (ZRH) | Delayed | Claim Refund |
