EgyptAir: delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight, your rights

💰 Flight delayed, cancelled or overbooked? Up to €600 per passenger, €0 upfront. Check my flight in 2 min

Flight with EgyptAir delayed, cancelled, overbooked or disrupted by a strike? Depending on the direction of travel and departure point, you may be entitled to fixed compensation of up to €600 per passenger (EU Regulation 261/2004), or reimbursement of actual expenses (Montreal Convention). Free check, €0 upfront.

EgyptAir is a non-EU airline (Égypte). EU Regulation 261/2004 only applies to its flights when they depart from an EU airport. On flights departing Le Caire towards Europe, the fixed compensation does not apply; the Montreal Convention instead covers documented actual expenses (meals, hotel, transport).

EgyptAir at a glance

Country of registration: Egypt
Main hub: Le Caire
EU261 status: non-EU carrier, covered only on EU departures

EgyptAir refund vs compensation

Two different things are often confused. A ticket refund (or rerouting) is owed by EgyptAir as soon as it cancels or heavily delays a flight, regardless of direction: it is the price paid that comes back. The fixed EU261 compensation (up to €600) is a separate right, which adds to the refund and does not depend on the ticket price, only on distance and direction of travel. Both combine when EU261 applies.

EgyptAir flight delayed

Delay is measured on arrival (doors open), not departure. From 3 hours onward, the fixed amount is due without needing to prove financial loss: €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 between 1,500 and 3,500 km, €600 beyond.

EgyptAir's excuses: valid or not

Valid excuses: severe weather, airspace closure, air traffic control strikes, bird strike or runway debris. Even then, the airline must prove it took all reasonable measures to limit the delay.

Invalid excuses (compensation still due): a technical fault, even unexpected (Wallentin-Hermann and van der Lans rulings, CJEU), delay carried over from the aircraft's previous rotation, understaffing or internal organisational issues.

EgyptAir flight cancelled

If EgyptAir cancels your flight and notifies you less than 14 days before departure, you are entitled to compensation per passenger, plus a refund or rerouting, your choice. Both rights combine (Art. 7 and Art. 8). A voucher only replaces a cash refund if you accept it — you can refuse it and demand a bank transfer.

Note: being notified less than 14 days out does not always guarantee compensation. If EgyptAir offers rerouting close to the original schedule, it may escape payment in some specific cases.

EgyptAir missed connection

EgyptAir made you miss your connection? If your ticket is a single booking covering the whole journey, delay is measured at your final destination, regardless of which leg caused it (Folkerts ruling, CJEU 2013).

Since EgyptAir is a non-EU carrier, coverage depends on the rest of the itinerary: if another leg of the same booking is operated by an EU carrier, or departs an EU airport, the final delay can still open the right to compensation. If the whole journey stays outside the regulation's scope, only the Montreal Convention applies.

Warning: if you bought two separate tickets instead of a single booking, protection is much weaker, as each flight is assessed independently.

EgyptAir overbooking / denied boarding

Involuntary denied boarding opens the same rights as a cancellation. Article 4 of EU261 requires the airline to first call for volunteers before denying boarding to anyone. If you are denied boarding involuntarily, you are entitled to fixed compensation (up to €600), plus assistance (meals, accommodation if needed) and a refund or rerouting of your choice.

Unlike a cancellation, denied boarding admits almost no valid excuse: it is a commercial decision by the airline, never an extraordinary circumstance.

EgyptAir flight disrupted by a strike

It depends entirely on who is striking. A strike by EgyptAir's own staff (pilots, cabin crew, ground staff employed by the airline) is not an extraordinary circumstance: the CJEU ruled this in Krüsemann, holding that an employer must anticipate this social risk. Compensation remains due.

A strike by third parties external to EgyptAir (air traffic controllers, airport staff not employed by the airline, a national general strike) can be a valid extraordinary circumstance, provided EgyptAir proves it took all reasonable measures to limit the impact.

How long do you have to claim?

5 years before French courts (Art. 2224 of the Civil Code) for an EU261 claim, whatever the situation above. A EgyptAir flight disrupted two or three years ago is still claimable today.

How to claim with Robin des Airs

Robin des Airs specialises in Africa-Europe routes, checks your EgyptAir flight's eligibility (direction, distance, cause of delay), builds the file, sends the claim and challenges refusals. €0 if nothing is recovered. You receive 75% of amounts recovered amicably, and 60% if the airline forces us to go to court.

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Frequently asked questions

My EgyptAir flight arrived more than 3 hours late. How much can I claim?

Between €250 and €600 per passenger depending on distance, if the flight falls under EU261: it must depart from an EU airport, as EgyptAir is a non-EU carrier. Otherwise, the Montreal Convention covers your documented actual expenses.

EgyptAir cancelled my flight and notified me the day before. What are my rights?

If you are notified less than 14 days before departure, you are entitled to fixed compensation, plus a ticket refund or rerouting of your choice: both rights combine (Art. 7 and 8). A voucher only replaces a cash refund if you explicitly accept it.

I missed my connection because of a EgyptAir delay. Am I covered?

If your ticket is a single booking, delay is measured at the final destination, not the leg responsible (Folkerts ruling, CJEU). With two separate tickets, each flight is assessed independently and protection is weaker.

EgyptAir denied me boarding due to overbooking. Am I entitled to compensation?

Yes, involuntary denied boarding opens the same rights as a cancellation: fixed compensation up to €600, plus assistance and a refund or rerouting of your choice. The airline must first call for volunteers (Art. 4); overbooking is never an extraordinary circumstance.

My flight was disrupted by a strike. Is that compensated?

It depends on who is striking. A strike by EgyptAir's own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance (Krüsemann ruling, CJEU): compensation remains due. A strike by external third parties (air traffic controllers, general strike) can exempt the airline, if it proves it took all reasonable measures.

What is the difference between a ticket refund and EU261 compensation?

A ticket refund (or rerouting) is owed as soon as EgyptAir cancels or heavily delays a flight, regardless of direction: it is the price paid that comes back. Fixed EU261 compensation is a separate right, which adds to the refund and does not depend on the price paid, only on distance and direction.

How long do I have to claim against EgyptAir?

5 years before French courts (Art. 2224 of the Civil Code) for an EU261 claim. A EgyptAir flight disrupted two or three years ago is still claimable today.