Turkish Airlines Flight Delayed? Claim EU261 Compensation Up to €600
EU Regulation 261/2004 applies to all airlines operating flights that depart from EU territory — including Turkish Airlines. If your THY flight was delayed 3+ hours or cancelled at departure from a European airport, you may be entitled to fixed cash compensation.
Key rule: it's about where you departed, not the airline's nationality
Turkish Airlines is Turkish, but EU261 covers all flights departing from EU airports. Paris–Istanbul, Frankfurt–Istanbul, Amsterdam–Istanbul — all covered. Istanbul–Paris is only covered if operated by an EU carrier, which Turkish Airlines is not.
Am I eligible?
Compensation amounts
| Flight distance | Example routes (from EU) | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,500 km | Frankfurt–Vienna, Paris–Berlin | €250 |
| 1,500–3,500 km | Paris–Istanbul, Frankfurt–Istanbul | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km (4h+ delay) | Frankfurt–Riyadh, Paris–Bangkok via IST | €600 |
How to claim Turkish Airlines EU261 compensation
- 1
File directly with Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines has a customer relations portal. Submit your booking reference, flight number, and the delay details. Include documentation of your actual arrival time.
Turkish Airlines passenger rights → - 2
If rejected or no reply within 14 days: escalate to national authority
Contact the aviation authority of the EU country where your flight departed. DGAC (France), CAA (UK), Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (Germany), ILT (Netherlands). They can enforce EU261 against any carrier.
- 3
Use a claims service (simplest option)
AirHelp specialises in claims against non-EU carriers including Turkish Airlines. They handle all correspondence and legal proceedings — success fee ~25%, nothing if unsuccessful.
Check via AirHelp →
Turkish Airlines denial tactics to watch for
- →"EU261 does not apply to Turkish Airlines" — false for flights departing from EU airports
- →"Extraordinary circumstances" — crew shortages, technical issues, and rotational delays are NOT extraordinary
- →Calculating delay from departure, not arrival — EU261 measures delay at the final destination gate
- →Offering miles or vouchers instead of cash — you are entitled to cash compensation
- →Claiming the delay was on a non-EU leg — if the EU departure was delayed, all subsequent connections are covered
Find past Turkish Airlines delays in your inbox
SubRadar scans your Gmail or Outlook for Turkish Airlines booking confirmation emails from the past 3 years and surfaces any flights where you may have a valid EU261 claim — including delays on connecting routes through Istanbul.
Scan my flight emails — free
Connect Gmail or Outlook. SubRadar detects your Turkish Airlines flights and flags potential EU261 claims.
Scan my inbox free →EU261 guides for other airlines: