Delayed flight at Copenhagen: compensation

Yes, for flights departing from Copenhagen Airport. Under Article 3(1)(a) the regulation applies to passengers travelling from an airport in a Member State, and Kastrup is in Denmark. It normally does not matter where the airline is based.

Flights landing in Copenhagen are normally covered only if they come from an airport outside the EU and the airline is registered in the EU (Article 3(1)(b)). For a flight from another EU airport, the departure there is assessed instead. The individual case is decided by the route and by which airline operated the flight.

Of the seven example destinations, Oslo is nearest (517 km) and Bangkok furthest (8,636 km). Under Article 7 the levels are 250 € for Oslo (517 km) and Amsterdam (633 km), 400 € for Rome (1,537 km) and Larnaca (2,807 km) and 600 € for Dubai (4,818 km), New York (6,189 km) and Bangkok (8,636 km).

The distances are straight-line and the amounts come from the same rules engine as the check on this site, per passenger on the proviso that the other conditions are met. The example destinations only show the levels. They do not mean that a particular airline operates the route.

The airline is the first step. Trafikstyrelsen writes that you must have complained to the airline before you complain to the authority, and that complaining to it is free. The complaint is submitted in a complaint form, and you can have a representative with a power of attorney do it for you.

Trafikstyrelsen's article from May 2023 on rights when flying from Copenhagen advises against paying private compensation firms and says that, according to the authority, compensation is not available when the cause is a shortage of air traffic controllers, which it calls an unusual circumstance. The complaint page states no time limits or fees, so we say nothing about them.

Article 16 of the regulation requires each Member State to designate a body responsible for enforcement and gives passengers the right to complain to such a body. Trafikstyrelsen's pages do not expressly say that it is the body referred to, and we do not claim that either.

Copenhagen Airports A/S appears as the sender on the airport's website. It shows flight information, practical details, parking and shopping, among other things, but does not cover compensation for delays. You therefore direct the claim to the airline.

Under Articles 6 and 9 the airline must offer meals and refreshments in reasonable proportion to the waiting time when it reasonably expects a delay of two hours or more (flights of 1,500 km or less), three hours or more (flights within the EU of more than 1,500 km) or four hours or more (all other flights). If an overnight stay becomes necessary, a hotel room and transport between the airport and the hotel must be offered free of charge.

Assistance for passengers with reduced mobility at Kastrup is provided by Falck, whichever airline you fly with. It suits, among others, those who need help to and from the aircraft, use a wheelchair, need to bring an oxygen cylinder, travel with a service dog or have a visual or hearing impairment. Preferably book through the airline or your travel agency when you book the trip; assistance can be ordered for both departure and arrival. If you bring an electric wheelchair or an assistance dog, book at least 48 hours before departure. The airport has set quality targets: with pre-booking, 80% should wait no more than 10 minutes, 90% no more than 20 minutes and everyone no more than 30 minutes; without pre-booking the figures are 25, 35 and 45 minutes. On arrival with pre-booking, 85% should be helped within 5 minutes after the aircraft has parked, 95% within 10 minutes and everyone within 20 minutes. People with hidden disabilities can wear a sunflower lanyard. Complaints about the assistance can go to the airport's customer service or the airline, and then to the Danish Transport, Construction and Housing Authority, as the airport's page names it.

Caught up in a disruption around Copenhagen? Read on under the category that fits.