easyJet flight compensation — when EU 261 or UK261 applies

easyJet flies a busy network into Sweden — Stockholm Arlanda to London Gatwick year-round, Gothenburg Landvetter to Gatwick on seasonal rotations, Arlanda to Paris Charles de Gaulle — and after Brexit the question of which compensation regime applies to your delay or cancellation is more complicated than it looks. easyJet is no longer a single airline: it operates as two separate certified carriers, and which one flew you decides whether you reach for EU Regulation 261/2004 or for the UK equivalent, UK261.

Short answer for a Sweden-based passenger: if your flight departs from Sweden — or any other EU country — EU 261 always applies, regardless of which easyJet entity is on the ticket. If your flight departs from the UK to Sweden, the regime depends on the operating carrier. The amounts are practically equivalent: €250/€400/€600 under EU 261, £220/£350/£520 under UK261, set by flight distance.

Two airlines under one brand — what Brexit changed

Before 2020 easyJet was a single British airline with EU operating rights. Brexit forced a split, because a UK-certified airline can no longer fly freely between two EU airports. easyJet's answer was structural:

• easyJet UK (country code GB, registration prefix G-) — the original British operator, still flying UK-based routes including UK–EU services.
• easyJet Europe (country code OE, registration prefix OE-) — an Austrian subsidiary certified in Vienna in 2017 in anticipation of Brexit. It flies the majority of intra-EU routes and a large share of UK–EU traffic.

The two entities share branding, livery and the easyjet.com booking flow, so the difference is invisible at the point of sale. You only see it on the boarding pass and the aircraft tail — a registration beginning with G- is easyJet UK, OE- is easyJet Europe. Both entities operate ARN–LGW across the schedule.

Which regime applies — the test for Sweden-based passengers

EU 261 applies in two situations: (1) any flight that departs from an airport within the EU, regardless of the airline's nationality; and (2) any flight operated by an EU-licensed airline that arrives in the EU from a third country. UK261 is the British copy of EU 261, retained in domestic law after Brexit, and it applies to any flight departing from a UK airport, plus UK-licensed airlines arriving in the UK. For deeper background see our explanation of EU 261 air passenger rights .

For a Swedish traveller the practical map is:

Stockholm–London Gatwick is about 1,440 km — borderline. In practice easyJet pays €250 for this route because the great-circle distance is under 1,500 km, but for the UK261 amount the equivalent £220 applies. Stockholm–Paris is about 1,540 km, just over the threshold, so €400 — confirm the distance for your specific airport pair before you state the figure in writing.

What you can claim — and the thresholds

The thresholds are the same under both regimes, because UK261 is the retained version of EU 261. You have a right to compensation when:

• You arrive at your final destination three hours or more late (the rule from the joined CJEU cases Sturgeon and Others, C-402/07 and C-432/07);
• Your flight is cancelled with less than 14 days' notice and no acceptable rebooking;
• You are denied boarding against your will despite a valid booking and timely check-in;

and easyJet — UK or Europe — is responsible for the disruption. The amounts:

• EU 261: €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 within the EU over 1,500 km (or 1,500–3,500 km), €600 over 3,500 km.
• UK261: £220, £350, £520 in the same bands.

The compensation is in addition to your right to be rebooked or refunded, and to the duty of care (meals, drinks, and a hotel if you have to stay overnight). These are separate rights, not alternatives — easyJet sometimes responds to a claim with a refund or a flight voucher and lets it sound as if that settles everything. It does not.

When easyJet does not have to pay — and when it still does

easyJet can refuse the flat compensation if it shows that the disruption was caused by an extraordinary circumstance outside the airline's control — but the list of what genuinely qualifies is narrow, and the airline frequently overreaches. Read what counts as an extraordinary circumstance for the full picture.

Two patterns to know for easyJet specifically:

Technical faults on the A319/A320/A320neo fleet are not extraordinary. easyJet operates one of Europe's largest single-fleet Airbus narrow-body operations. The CJEU ruled in Wallentin-Hermann (C-549/07) that a technical problem that comes to light during the airline's normal activity is not an extraordinary circumstance: such defects are inherent in operating an aircraft, and the airline is expected to manage them through proper maintenance. easyJet sometimes labels a delay "technical issue" hoping the wording closes the conversation. It does not — push back and ask for the specific defect and its origin.

A BALPA pilots' strike, or a strike by easyJet Europe cabin crew, does not exempt easyJet. In Krüsemann and Others (C-195/17) the Court held that a "wildcat" strike — and by extension a regular industrial action by the airline's own staff — is part of the normal management of the business and is therefore not an extraordinary circumstance. The British Air Line Pilots' Association (BALPA) has called industrial action against easyJet UK at times; the Spain-based easyJet Europe cabin crew union has also struck. In both cases passengers retain the right to compensation if the delay or cancellation crosses the thresholds. Strikes by third parties — air traffic controllers, airport ground handlers, security staff — are treated differently and can qualify as extraordinary.

Wet lease (ACMI) does not transfer responsibility. When easyJet is short of aircraft or crew it sometimes operates flights under a "wet lease" — the aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance are leased in from another operator (Wizz Air Malta, Avion Express, SmartLynx and others have at times provided capacity). The marketing carrier is still easyJet, the flight number is still easyJet's, and the operating air carrier responsible under EU 261 is easyJet. You write to easyJet, not to the lessor.

How to file the claim with easyJet

easyJet handles compensation through its own form on easyjet.com — navigate to Help → Contact us → Compensation. The flow asks for the booking reference, flight number, date and the passengers' names, and lets you describe the disruption. Practical steps:

1. Collect the documents. Booking reference, flight number, scheduled and actual times, boarding passes, receipts for any meals or hotel paid out of pocket.
2. State the regime explicitly. Write "I am claiming under EU Regulation 261/2004" for a flight departing from Sweden, or "I am claiming under the Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019" — UK261 — for an easyJet UK flight departing from the UK.
3. State the amount. Give the figure in euros (or pounds) and the flight distance you have used.
4. Be factual. Describe the disruption in neutral terms; emotive language helps no claim.
5. Save everything. Screenshot the form submission, save the confirmation email, log every reply with date and time.

easyJet's published response time on compensation cases is about 28 days. If 28 days pass without a substantive reply — not just an acknowledgement — that silence itself is grounds to escalate.

When easyJet says no — escalation in Sweden and in the UK

A first rejection is common. Often the reason given is vague — "operational reasons", "weather", "technical issue" — and the burden of proof for the extraordinary circumstance lies on the airline, not on you. Ask, in writing, for the specific cause of the disruption.

For a ticket bought from Sweden — or a flight from Sweden — the Swedish path is:

• ARN (Allmänna reklamationsnämnden — the Swedish National Board for Consumer Disputes) reviews the dispute free of charge. The decision is a recommendation, not binding, but reputable airlines including easyJet generally follow ARN rulings.
• Transportstyrelsen is the national enforcement body for EU 261 in Sweden.
• Swedish district court. Under the Brussels I bis Regulation (1215/2012) article 18 a consumer can sue in the consumer's own country, and under article 7(1)(b) the place of departure or arrival of the flight is also a place of performance. Both routes give jurisdiction in Sweden. We explain the procedure in taking the claim to court .

For an easyJet UK flight that departed from the UK, the UK path is:

• The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) supervises UK261. The CAA itself does not adjudicate individual claims but it directs passengers to an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) body — for easyJet UK that is CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution), which provides binding ADR for the airline's passengers.

Limitation periods — Sweden has a real advantage

How long you have to bring the claim depends on the country whose courts you use, not on the regulation. The CJEU confirmed this in Cuadrench Moré (C-139/11): the limitation period for EU 261 claims is set by national law.

• Sweden — ten years from the date of the flight, under the Swedish Statute of Limitations (preskriptionslagen § 2).
• United Kingdom — six years, under the Limitation Act 1980.

For a Sweden-based passenger this is a meaningful advantage. If your flight from Sweden was disrupted four years ago and you never claimed, the case is still alive in a Swedish district court. The same case would already be unenforceable in the English courts. Where you have a choice of forum, Sweden is the favourable one for a Swedish-bought ticket — and the Brussels I bis Regulation gives you that choice.

Does the UK vs Europe split actually matter for the amount?

In practical terms, very little. EU 261 and UK261 are substantively equivalent — same thresholds, same compensation bands, the same extraordinary-circumstance exemption, the same Sturgeon three-hour rule. What the split decides is:

• Forum. EU 261 cases go to ARN and the Swedish courts. UK261 cases go to CEDR and, if needed, the English courts.
• Currency. Euros under EU 261, pounds under UK261. At a roughly £1 = €1.15 rate the amounts are close, but the pound figures are slightly lower in euro equivalent at current exchange rates.
• Limitation period. Six years in the UK, ten in Sweden — the real reason a Swedish passenger should claim under EU 261 wherever the route allows the choice.

The rights are the same. The procedure, the body that hears the dispute, the language of the correspondence and the years you have to act differ.

Claim yourself or use a service

You can submit the claim to easyJet directly using the steps above and lose nothing if the airline pays. If easyJet rejects and you do not want to handle the escalation yourself, a claim service such as AirHelp {:rel="nofollow sponsored noopener"} pursues the case for a share of the recovered amount — typically 25–35 % — with no fee if the claim fails. We weigh the trade-offs in claim yourself or use a service .

This is not legal advice

This page is based on published and institutional sources — expert review is still pending. For advice on your individual case, turn to ARN (the Swedish National Board for Consumer Disputes) or Transportstyrelsen, the supervisory authority for air passenger rights in Sweden. For an easyJet UK flight from a UK airport, the CAA and the CEDR ADR scheme are the corresponding bodies in the United Kingdom.

Frequently asked questions

easyJet flight from Sweden to the UK — does EU 261 or UK261 apply?

EU Regulation 261/2004 applies, because the flight departs from an EU airport. This is true whether the flight is operated by easyJet UK (code GB) or easyJet Europe (code OE). On a delay of three hours or more, a cancellation or denied boarding for which easyJet is responsible, you have the right to €250 for ARN–LGW (under 1,500 km is rare on this route, so €400 is the usual amount in the 1,500–3,500 km band). The regulation follows the departure airport, not the airline's nationality.

easyJet does not reply to my claim — where do I file a complaint in Sweden?

For a ticket bought from Sweden you can turn to ARN (Allmänna reklamationsnämnden — the Swedish National Board for Consumer Disputes), which reviews the dispute at no cost. Transportstyrelsen (the Swedish Transport Agency) is the national supervisory authority for EU 261. If easyJet still refuses to pay after an ARN recommendation, you can sue in a Swedish district court — under the Brussels I bis Regulation (1215/2012) article 18 a consumer can bring the case in the consumer's own country.

BALPA strike — will easyJet pay me compensation?

Yes, normally. The Court of Justice of the EU ruled in Krüsemann and Others (C-195/17) that a strike by the airline's own staff — including cabin crew and pilots — is not an extraordinary circumstance under EU 261. It is part of the normal management of the business. A BALPA pilots' strike at easyJet UK, or industrial action at easyJet Europe, therefore gives the right to the flat compensation if the delay or cancellation meets the thresholds. Strikes by external parties — air traffic controllers, airport security — are treated differently.

easyJet leased the aircraft from another carrier (wet lease) — is it still responsible?

Yes. Under EU 261 the operating air carrier is the one liable, and that means the airline under whose flight number you actually flew. In a wet lease (ACMI — aircraft, crew, maintenance, insurance leased in from another operator), easyJet remains the marketing and operating carrier for the passenger if the flight is sold and numbered as an easyJet flight. The lessor's identity is irrelevant for the claim — you write to easyJet.

What is the limitation period for claims against easyJet in Sweden?

Ten years from the day the flight took place, under the Swedish Statute of Limitations (preskriptionslagen § 2). In the UK the period under the Limitation Act 1980 is six years. The Court of Justice has confirmed in Cuadrench Moré (C-139/11) that the limitation period for EU 261 claims is set by national law, so the ten-year Swedish period is a real advantage for a passenger with a Swedish-bought ticket — it is one of the longest in the EU.

Can I sue easyJet in a Swedish district court?

Yes, for a flight that departs from or arrives in Sweden, or for a ticket bought from Sweden. The Brussels I bis Regulation (1215/2012) article 18 gives a consumer the right to bring proceedings against a counterparty either where the counterparty is domiciled or in the consumer's own country. The district court for the place where you live is competent. The CJEU has also held that the place of departure or arrival of the flight is a place of performance under article 7(1)(b), which also founds jurisdiction.

Sources and further reading

• EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 261/2004
• The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 — UK retained EU 261
• Court of Justice of the EU — Sturgeon and Others, joined cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 (the three-hour threshold)
• Court of Justice of the EU — Wallentin-Hermann, C-549/07 (technical faults are not extraordinary)
• Court of Justice of the EU — Cuadrench Moré, C-139/11 (national limitation periods apply)
• Court of Justice of the EU — Krüsemann and Others, C-195/17 (own-staff strikes are not extraordinary)
• Regulation (EU) 1215/2012 — Brussels I bis, article 18 (consumer jurisdiction)
• Transportstyrelsen — Passenger rights (the supervisory authority in Sweden)
• ARN — Allmänna reklamationsnämnden (the Swedish National Board for Consumer Disputes)
• UK Civil Aviation Authority — Resolving travel problems and the CEDR ADR scheme for easyJet UK

Last reviewed: 18 May 2026.