Refunds and Compensation for Turkish Airlines Strike

Yurii Moskalenko
30.08.2024
Updated 05.05.2025

Flight delays or cancellations due to airline strikes can be annoying, but there is good news for travelers. There is a regulation called EU 261 that protects you. It says that airlines must issue compensation if your flight is cancelled or delayed due to a strike. In this article, we will clarify what the EU 261 regulation is and how it can assist you.

Passenger Rights Under EU 261/2004

Now let’s focus on the details of EU Regulation 261. In the following sections, you will learn about your entitlement to compensation and what advantages you can expect in the event of a flight disruption.

Right to Compensation

The European Union regulation stipulates that if you are protected by the EU 261/2004, you are entitled to claim compensation if a wildcat or planned strike of the airline’s workers affects your flight. It is worth noting, that both cases do not qualify as “extraordinary circumstances” i.e., those beyond the airline’s control.

Flight Cancellation Compensation

According to EU Regulation 261, you may be eligible for compensation of up to €600 if your flight is cancelled and the airline does not notify you about the cancellation within 14 days before your planned departure date.

However, as it often happens, there are exceptions you should be aware of. In particular, the airline is entitled to refuse compensation if they decide to offer you an alternative flight. However, this flight should also meet certain requirements:

  • If your flight is over 3,500 km, your replacement flight must arrive at the point of destination with a delay of less than 4 hours;
  • If your flight is 1,500-3,500 km, your replacement flight must arrive at the point of destination with a delay of less than 3 hours;
  • If your flight is less than 1,500 km, your replacement flight must arrive at the point of destination with a delay of less than 2 hours;

If you agreed to the alternative flight provided by the airline but arrived at your final destination later than originally scheduled, you are still eligible to claim compensation.

The main factors that affect the amount of compensation are the flight distance and the duration of the delay. See the table below for compensation amounts:

Under 2 hours2-3 hours3-4 hoursOver 4 hoursNever arrivedDistance
€125€250€250€250€250All flights 1,500 km or less
€200€200€400€400€400Internal EU flights over 1,500 km
€200€200€400€400€400Non-internal EU flights 1,500 km- 3,500 km
€300€300€300€600€600Non-internal EU flights over 3,500 km

Flight Delay Compensation

Delays caused by airline strikes of any duration can be frustrating and can significantly disrupt your plans. You are entitled to compensation if the flight delay resulting from an airline strike lasts at least three hours.

Regarding the possible amount of compensation that passengers may receive, there are two key factors to consider: the duration of the delay and the flight distance. See the table provided below for compensation amounts:

Less than 3 hoursBetween 3-4 hoursOver 4 hoursDistance
€0€250€250All flights up to 1500 km
€0€400€400All flights between 1500 km and 3500 km
€0€400€400All intra-EU flights over 3500 km
€0€300€600All non-EU flights over 3500 km

Ticket Refund or Alternative Transportation

In the rare cases when a passenger’s flight is delayed for 5 or more hours or cancelled, the passenger is entitled to more significant rights. You have two options to select from:

  • You can refuse the delayed or cancelled flight and choose a full refund, meaning that you will also cancel your planned trip, and there won’t be a financial penalty for this.
  • You can agree to use an alternative flight that the airline arranges for you.

As you can see, you have the right to choose the option that meets your needs.

Right to Care

In addition to compensation for a disrupted flight resulting from an airline strike, passengers also have the right to care. So, the airline is required to provide passengers with food, drinks, and the opportunity to make two phone calls, fax messages, and emails. When your flight is rescheduled for the next day, the airline has to provide you with a hotel, as well as transportation between the airport and the hotel.

Upgrading and Downgrading

Sometimes it occurs the airline may either upgrade or downgrade your flight’s class when offering an alternative flight. In such cases, you should understand specific rules and your rights:

In case of upgrading: if your class has been upgraded, you won’t have to pay extra for this advantage.

In case of downgrading: if your class is downgraded, the airline is obligated to reimburse you. Furthermore, the compensation in this case is determined by the distance of the flight:

  • 30% of the cost of the flights that are 1,500 km or less;
  • 50% of the cost of t is an intra-EU flight over 1,500 km; also, if these are all other flights that are 1,500-3,500 km;
  • 75% of the cost of the flight is 3,500 km and more.

These rules apply to all flights within the EU; besides, these regulations cover flights that are either departing from or arriving in the European Union on airlines based in the EU.

When Are You Not Entitled to Compensation?

Unfortunately, you should know that in cases in which the airline can’t influence or prevent the strike, there will be no compensation for passengers. Let’s take an example: any labor dispute could significantly affect aviation (such as a national labor or air traffic strike); however, such situations are not under an airline’s control, and it’s not its fault that this situation occurs. Therefore, an airline is not required to pay compensation for disrupted flights.

Even though many cases of strikes are not covered by EU261 and are classified as “extraordinary circumstances”, this doesn’t automatically mean that the airline will not pay compensation.

According to the ECJ ruling of 11 June 2020 (Case C-74/19), the airline must prove they have done everything possible to prevent a strike. If the airline cannot prove it, it is required to pay passengers compensation for flight disruptions.

Which Flights are Covered by EU 261/2004?

EU Regulation 261 applies to all flights departing from European Union airports. It also applies 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, Turkish Airlines is not a European airline. Therefore, they aren’t required to issue compensation if their flights operate outside the European Union. This applies even to their flights to the European Union if they start outside the EU.

ItineraryCovered by EU 261
Flights departing from EU airports✔️ Yes
Flights arriving at EU airports❌ No

How to Get Turkish Airlines Strike Compensation

Dealing with flight cancellations or delays due to strikes is always frustrating. Such situations can not only ruin your trip but also create problems – emotional, financial, etc. To seek compensation for this inconvenience, follow these steps:

  1. Complete this form. You’ll need to provide details like your flight number, date, and the issue you encountered.
  2. Let our experts help you. Once you submit the form, our team will manage the process. We know the EU laws comprehensively and will strive to get you your compensation. You only pay us if we win your case.

Recent Flight Delays and Cancellations

Was your flight delayed or cancelled due to the strike? 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 Airline (Flight number) Route Status Your compensation

09.05.202508:10

Turkish Airlines

8424

Tokyo (HND)

Kumamoto (KMJ)

delayed

Refunds

09.05.202507:15

Turkish Airlines

4837

Kuala Lumpur (KUL)

Tawau (TWU)

delayed

Refunds

09.05.202506:25

Turkish Airlines

8338

Tokyo (HND)

Okinawa (OKA)

delayed

Refunds

09.05.202506:20

Turkish Airlines

4567

Tokyo (HND)

Tokyo (CTS)

delayed

Refunds

09.05.202501:15

Turkish Airlines

4732

Mumbai (BOM)

New Delhi (DEL)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202521:20

Turkish Airlines

8328

Tokyo (HND)

Honolulu (HNL)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202518:35

Turkish Airlines

4446

Lampang (LPT)

Bangkok (BKK)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202518:25

Turkish Airlines

4876

Kuala Lumpur (KUL)

Kuantan (KUA)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202518:15

Turkish Airlines

4836

Tawau (TWU)

Kuala Lumpur (KUL)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202518:05

Turkish Airlines

8852

Tokyo (HND)

Tokyo (KIX)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202517:25

Turkish Airlines

8425

Kumamoto (KMJ)

Tokyo (HND)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202517:00

Turkish Airlines

4560

Hiroshima (HIJ)

Tokyo (HND)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202516:40

Turkish Airlines

8339

Okinawa (OKA)

Tokyo (HND)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202516:30

Turkish Airlines

8427

Kagoshima (KOJ)

Tokyo (HND)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202516:25

Turkish Airlines

4443

Bangkok (BKK)

Lampang (LPT)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202515:00

Turkish Airlines

2851

(OGU)

Istanbul (IST)

cancelled

Refunds

08.05.202513:55

Turkish Airlines

8846

Tokyo (HND)

Tokyo (KIX)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202512:55

Turkish Airlines

2254

Istanbul (IST)

Hatay (HTY)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202512:35

Turkish Airlines

2850

Istanbul (IST)

(OGU)

cancelled

Refunds

08.05.202511:55

Turkish Airlines

980

Antalya (AYT)

Lefkosa (ECN)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202510:45

Turkish Airlines

155

Istanbul (SAW)

Lefkosa (ECN)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202507:10

Turkish Airlines

8827

Tokyo (HND)

Hiroshima (HIJ)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202506:40

Turkish Airlines

8426

Tokyo (HND)

Kagoshima (KOJ)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202506:25

Turkish Airlines

8338

Tokyo (HND)

Okinawa (OKA)

delayed

Refunds

08.05.202506:20

Turkish Airlines

4567

Tokyo (HND)

Tokyo (CTS)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202521:10

Turkish Airlines

8843

Tokyo (KIX)

Tokyo (HND)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202519:05

Turkish Airlines

9587

San Francisco (SFO)

Seattle (SEA)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202518:55

Turkish Airlines

3008

Istanbul (SAW)

Istanbul (ESB)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202517:25

Turkish Airlines

4523

Bangkok (BKK)

Phnom Penh (SAI)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202517:25

Turkish Airlines

8425

Kumamoto (KMJ)

Tokyo (HND)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202517:20

Turkish Airlines

4492

Pattaya (UTP)

Koh Samui (USM)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202516:20

Turkish Airlines

966

Istanbul (IST)

Lefkosa (ECN)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202515:35

Turkish Airlines

8331

Honolulu (HNL)

Tokyo (HND)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202515:10

Turkish Airlines

4489

Phuket (HKT)

Pattaya (UTP)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202515:00

Turkish Airlines

4575

Langkawi (LGK)

Kuala Lumpur (KUL)

cancelled

Refunds

07.05.202514:25

Turkish Airlines

978

Istanbul (IST)

Lefkosa (ECN)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202513:15

Turkish Airlines

97

Istanbul (SAW)

Sarajevo (SJJ)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202512:55

Turkish Airlines

2254

Istanbul (IST)

Hatay (HTY)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202512:55

Turkish Airlines

4784

Kuala Lumpur (KUL)

Langkawi (LGK)

cancelled

Refunds

07.05.202512:30

Turkish Airlines

2750

Istanbul (IST)

Van (VAN)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202512:05

Turkish Airlines

4775

Langkawi (LGK)

Kuala Lumpur (KUL)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202511:55

Turkish Airlines

4886

Kuala Lumpur (KUL)

Langkawi (LGK)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202511:35

Turkish Airlines

4526

Bangkok (BKK)

Phnom Penh (SAI)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202511:25

Turkish Airlines

9016

Istanbul (IST)

Krakow (KRK)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202510:00

Turkish Airlines

8180

Kuala Lumpur (KUL)

Langkawi (LGK)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202509:30

Turkish Airlines

745

Lahore (LHE)

Istanbul (IST)

cancelled

Refunds

07.05.202509:25

Turkish Airlines

4877

Kuala Lumpur (KUL)

Langkawi (LGK)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202508:10

Turkish Airlines

8424

Tokyo (HND)

Kumamoto (KMJ)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202507:35

Turkish Airlines

Moscow (VKO)

Istanbul (IST)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202506:50

Turkish Airlines

1767

Istanbul (IST)

Prague (PRG)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202506:25

Turkish Airlines

420

Moscow (VKO)

Istanbul (IST)

cancelled

Refunds

07.05.202506:25

Turkish Airlines

8338

Tokyo (HND)

Okinawa (OKA)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202505:20

Turkish Airlines

715

Lahore (LHE)

Istanbul (IST)

cancelled

Refunds

07.05.202505:05

Turkish Airlines

9239

Istanbul (IST)

Split (SPU)

delayed

Refunds

07.05.202503:30

Turkish Airlines

3105

Moscow (VKO)

Dalaman (DLM)

cancelled

Refunds

07.05.202502:55

Turkish Airlines

3127

Moscow (VKO)

Milas (BJV)

cancelled

Refunds

07.05.202502:40

Turkish Airlines

422

Moscow (VKO)

Istanbul (IST)

cancelled

Refunds

07.05.202502:30

Turkish Airlines

3039

Moscow (VKO)

Antalya (AYT)

cancelled

Refunds

07.05.202501:55

Turkish Airlines

3003

Moscow (VKO)

Antalya (AYT)

cancelled

Refunds

07.05.202501:45

Turkish Airlines

212

Moscow (VKO)

Antalya (AYT)

cancelled

Refunds

07.05.202501:20

Turkish Airlines

3051

Moscow (VKO)

Antalya (AYT)

cancelled

Refunds

07.05.202501:10

Turkish Airlines

419

Istanbul (IST)

Moscow (VKO)

cancelled

Refunds

07.05.202500:40

Turkish Airlines

744

Istanbul (IST)

Lahore (LHE)

cancelled

Refunds

06.05.202521:25

Turkish Airlines

3126

Milas (BJV)

Moscow (VKO)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202521:10

Turkish Airlines

8843

Tokyo (KIX)

Tokyo (HND)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202521:05

Turkish Airlines

421

Istanbul (IST)

Moscow (VKO)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202520:30

Turkish Airlines

714

Istanbul (IST)

Lahore (LHE)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202520:20

Turkish Airlines

3038

Antalya (AYT)

Moscow (VKO)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202520:10

Turkish Airlines

8096

Seoul (ICN)

Sydney (SYD)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202518:10

Turkish Airlines

4566

Toyama (TOY)

Tokyo (HND)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202517:45

Turkish Airlines

8429

Fukuoka (FUK)

Tokyo (HND)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202517:25

Turkish Airlines

4523

Bangkok (BKK)

Phnom Penh (SAI)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202516:55

Turkish Airlines

2741

Agri (AJI)

Istanbul (IST)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202516:30

Turkish Airlines

8427

Kagoshima (KOJ)

Tokyo (HND)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202516:25

Turkish Airlines

4443

Bangkok (BKK)

Lampang (LPT)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202515:10

Turkish Airlines

4489

Phuket (HKT)

Pattaya (UTP)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202515:00

Turkish Airlines

2851

(OGU)

Istanbul (IST)

cancelled

Refunds

06.05.202514:55

Turkish Airlines

203

Istanbul (IST)

Seattle (SEA)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202514:35

Turkish Airlines

4812

Kuala Lumpur (KUL)

Tawau (TWU)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202514:00

Turkish Airlines

633

Istanbul (IST)

(NDJ)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202513:55

Turkish Airlines

8846

Tokyo (HND)

Tokyo (KIX)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202513:55

Turkish Airlines

2740

Istanbul (IST)

Agri (AJI)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202512:35

Turkish Airlines

2850

Istanbul (IST)

(OGU)

cancelled

Refunds

06.05.202512:00

Turkish Airlines

2748

Istanbul (IST)

Van (VAN)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202511:35

Turkish Airlines

4526

Bangkok (BKK)

Phnom Penh (SAI)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202510:55

Turkish Airlines

4882

Kuantan (KUA)

Kuala Lumpur (KUL)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202510:15

Turkish Airlines

4565

Tokyo (HND)

Toyama (TOY)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202509:25

Turkish Airlines

4881

Kuala Lumpur (KUL)

Kuantan (KUA)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202508:55

Turkish Airlines

4563

Tokyo (HND)

Komatsu (KMQ)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202508:15

Turkish Airlines

2848

Istanbul (IST)

(OGU)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202508:10

Turkish Airlines

2670

Istanbul (IST)

(YKO)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202507:15

Turkish Airlines

8844

Tokyo (HND)

Tokyo (KIX)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202507:10

Turkish Airlines

8827

Tokyo (HND)

Hiroshima (HIJ)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202506:25

Turkish Airlines

8338

Tokyo (HND)

Okinawa (OKA)

delayed

Refunds

06.05.202506:20

Turkish Airlines

8428

Tokyo (HND)

Fukuoka (FUK)

delayed

Refunds

05.05.202522:10

Turkish Airlines

8083

Manila (MNL)

Davao (DVO)

delayed

Refunds

05.05.202521:50

Turkish Airlines

9159

Bucharest (OTP)

Suceava (SCV)

delayed

Refunds

05.05.202521:50

Turkish Airlines

8207

Rome (FCO)

Bari (BRI)

delayed

Refunds

05.05.202521:45

Turkish Airlines

199

Tokyo (HND)

Istanbul (IST)

delayed

Refunds

05.05.202521:00

Turkish Airlines

8341

Dubai (DXB)

Manama (BAH)

delayed

Refunds
Yurii Moskalenko
2193 articles
Yurii educates people about human rights and advocacy. He creates helpful materials for travelers to assert their rights. With certifications in law and economics, Yurii turns legal terms into simple, actionable advice. His travel experience gives him valuable insight into the challenges travelers face, helping him better understand their needs.

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