Verified · checked Jun 2026
A Financial Times analysis found airlines remain liable for around €3.2 billion in compensation that passengers can still claim, largely because limitation periods in many countries allow claims years after the disruption occurred. Source: FT analysis via Resolver.
Important · time-sensitive · checked Jun 2026
This page may be about to become much more urgent. EU negotiators have reached a political agreement to replace the varying national limitation periods below with a single EU-wide 9-month deadline to file claims. For Germany specifically, this would cut the window from roughly 3-4 years down to 9 months — over a 70% reduction. As of June 2026 this is agreed but not yet final law, with a roughly 12-month transition period expected once it passes. If you have an old flight you've been meaning to claim for, the safest move is to file now rather than wait — the long-window countries below may not stay long-window. Source: reporting on the EU Parliament/Council agreement, June 2026.
How long you have right now, by country
These are the current rules — the ones in effect until the reform above takes effect. They're set by each country's own civil law (EU261 itself doesn't specify a deadline), so they vary, and sources don't always perfectly agree on the exact figure.
| Country (where claim/court action is filed) | Typical limitation period (current, pre-reform) |
|---|
| Germany | 3 years (currently being shortened to 9 months — see above) |
| United Kingdom | 6 years |
| Spain | 5 years |
| France | 5 years |
| Italy | 2 years (international) / 1 year (domestic) — sources also cite 26 months |
| Czech Republic | Must notify within 6 months; claim itself valid 3 years |
| Malta | No fixed time limit (per one source — worth confirming directly) |
Verified · checked Jun 2026 · multiple sources cross-checked
Two independent sources (Flight-Delayed.co.uk and MYFLYRIGHT) agree on the UK's 6-year and Germany's 3-year figures. Italy's figure varies slightly by source (2 years vs. 26 months — these are roughly the same span, likely just rounded differently) and by domestic vs. international flight, so we've shown the range rather than picking one number.
One more wrinkle: the relevant country is usually based on the airline's home country or the flight's jurisdiction, not necessarily where you live — e.g. flying Air France means checking French rules, regardless of your nationality.
Why this matters more than people think
Most people who experienced a delay or cancellation simply never followed up — not because they weren't entitled, but because it fell off their to-do list, especially right after a trip when there's a lot else going on. If you've ever thought "that flight years ago was definitely delayed, I wonder if I was owed something," it's worth the 60 seconds to check.
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