Air China Delayed from Europe? Claim EU261 Compensation Up to €600
Air China (IATA: CA) — China's flag carrier and a Star Alliance member — operates flights from London Heathrow, Manchester, Frankfurt, Paris CDG, Munich, Rome, Amsterdam, and other European cities to Beijing Capital (PEK) and Beijing Daxing (PKX). Despite being Chinese, EU Regulation 261/2004 applies to all Air China flights departing from EU or UK airports. London–Beijing at approximately 8,900 km well exceeds the 3,500 km threshold — qualifying for €600 per person with a 4+ hour arrival delay.
Claim window by EU/UK departure country
| EU/UK Departure | Claim Window | Air China routes |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (LHR, MAN) | 6 years | London Heathrow–Beijing PEK: ~8,900 km / Manchester–Beijing: ~8,600 km → €600 with 4h+ |
| France (CDG) | 5 years | Paris CDG–Beijing PEK: ~8,200 km → €600 |
| Netherlands (AMS) | 5 years | Amsterdam–Beijing PEK: ~7,900 km → €600 |
| Germany (FRA, MUC) | 3 years | Frankfurt–Beijing: ~7,700 km / Munich–Beijing: ~7,600 km → €600 |
| Italy (FCO, MXP) | 2 years | Rome/Milan–Beijing: ~8,100–8,400 km → €600 |
| Spain (MAD) | 1 year | ⚠️ Madrid–Beijing (if operated): act immediately |
Am I eligible?
How to claim Air China EU261 compensation
- 1
File directly with Air China
Submit your EU261 claim via Air China customer relations. Reference EU Regulation 261/2004 explicitly. Include your CA flight number, PNR, EU/UK departure airport, and actual arrival time at Beijing. Air China may initially dispute applicability — persist.
Air China contact → - 2
Escalate to the national authority of your EU/UK departure
UK CAA for London Heathrow / Manchester. LBA for Frankfurt / Munich. DGAC for Paris CDG. ILT for Amsterdam. These authorities have successfully enforced EU261 against Chinese carriers. Free to file, 3–6 months.
Find your enforcement body → - 3
Use a no-win no-fee service
AirHelp handles Air China EU261 claims and is experienced in dealing with Chinese carrier refusals. UK passengers have a 6-year window — delays from 2020 onwards are still claimable.
Check via AirHelp →
Air China denial tactics to watch for
- →"EU261 doesn't apply to Air China" — false; EU law applies to all carriers on EU/UK-departure flights
- →"Chinese aviation law applies" — Chinese law applies to China-departure flights; EU261 applies to UK/EU-departure flights independently
- →No response or extreme delays in responding — escalate directly to national enforcement body after 8 weeks
- →Offering Phoenix Miles instead of cash — you are entitled to cash compensation under EU261
- →"Technical issue was extraordinary circumstances" — routine technical faults are not extraordinary under EU261
- →Italy passengers: 2-year SOL. Germany: 3-year SOL. Don't delay.
Find past Air China delays in your inbox
SubRadar scans your Gmail or Outlook for Air China booking emails and flags disrupted EU/UK-departure CA flights. UK passengers departing London Heathrow or Manchester have a 6-year claim window.
Scan my inbox free →EU261 guides for other airlines: