Delay because of weather: can you still claim?
“Bad weather” does not automatically end your claim. The airline must set out and prove that truly extraordinary circumstances existed and that it did everything reasonable.
What the Regulation says
The airline owes no compensation if the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even with all reasonable measures (Article 5(3)). The recitals expressly mention weather conditions incompatible with operating the flight. But that applies only if the weather was really the cause.
Why “weather” often is not enough
- Burden of proof: the airline must prove the circumstance, not just claim it.
- Cause: weather elsewhere or at another time does not explain every delay. Knock-on delays during the day often result from the airline’s own planning.
- Reasonable measures: the airline must show what it did to avoid or shorten the disruption.
- Technical faults are not weather: technical defects are generally not extraordinary circumstances (Wallentin‑Hermann, C‑549/07). A bird strike, on the other hand, can be one (Pešková, C‑315/15).
Even in bad weather: care
Even in extraordinary circumstances the duty of care (meals, hotel, transfer) remains, including for long disruptions (McDonagh, C‑12/11). Keep your receipts.
What you can do
- Ask the airline in writing for the specific cause (“ask for the reason” letter).
- Secure your own evidence: airport weather reports, time of announcements, screenshots of flight data.
- Check whether other flights at the same airport left as planned.
- If the airline refuses with a general statement, see the guide on refusals.