Turkish Airlines delay compensation
Compensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time. It is the arrival that counts, not the departure: a flight that leaves four hours late but makes up time and lands 2 hours 50 minutes late is not covered.
Which Turkish Airlines flights are covered
Turkish Airlines is registered in Türkiye — outside the EU and UK — so only flights leaving Europe are covered.
- Departing a UK airport: covered by UK261.
- Departing an EU airport: covered by EU261.
- Flying into the UK or EU from Türkiye or elsewhere: not covered by either, because Turkish Airlines is not a UK or EU carrier.
- That means a return trip is usually half-protected: the outbound from Europe counts, the flight home does not.
Worked examples on Turkish Airlines routes
| Route | Distance | Rules | Per passenger |
|---|---|---|---|
| London (LHR) → Istanbul (IST) | 2,489 km | UK261 | £350 |
| Istanbul (IST) → London (LHR) | 2,489 km | — | Not covered |
| Paris (CDG) → Istanbul (IST) | 2,214 km | EU261 | €400 |
| Istanbul (IST) → Paris (CDG) | 2,214 km | — | Not covered |
Notice the asymmetry: the same route pays in one direction and not the other, because Turkish Airlines is not a UK or EU airline and only departures from Europe are protected.
What Turkish Airlines is likely to say — and the answer
“Extraordinary circumstances” with no detail — ask which circumstance, and for the evidence.
“A technical problem” — not an extraordinary circumstance, and settled by the Court of Justice.
“The inbound aircraft arrived late” — a knock-on delay only counts if the original cause was itself extraordinary.
A disputed arrival time — ask for their recorded on-blocks time and compare it with yours.
Specific to Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines is NOT an EU or UK carrier, and this matters enormously. A flight from London or Frankfurt to Istanbul is covered, because it departs the UK or EU. A flight from Istanbul back to London or Frankfurt is NOT covered by UK261 or EU261, because the carrier is not a UK or EU one. Half of any round trip is protected and half is not.
Istanbul is a connecting hub to Asia and Africa. On the outbound from Europe, a missed connection at Istanbul on a single booking is measured at your final destination and will usually be a €600 or £520 claim.
Türkiye has its own passenger rights regulation (SHY-Passenger) which can cover the return leg. It is a separate scheme with different amounts and we do not draft for it.
Their responses are generally prompt by the standards of the region.
Check it free, then send the letter yourself.
If your Turkish Airlines delay appears eligible, the claim letter is £15 flat, with Turkish Airlines’s likely objection answered in advance. You keep 100% of what they pay. If the airline rejects your claim on eligibility grounds, we refund the £15. Forward us their reply and we refund within five working days.
Turkish Airlines delay: common questions
How much can I claim from Turkish Airlines for a delay?
Between €250 and €600 (or £220 and £520 under UK261) per passenger, depending on distance. The worked examples on this page show the figure for some of Turkish Airlines’s routes.
My Turkish Airlines flight left more than three hours late but landed less than three hours late. Can I claim?
No. The test is how late you arrive at your final destination. If the flight made up time and landed under three hours late, the fixed compensation does not apply — though you may still have been owed meals and refreshments during the wait.
What reasons does Turkish Airlines give for refusing delay claims?
The most common are: Extraordinary circumstances with no detail; A technical problem; The inbound aircraft arrived late; A disputed arrival time. Most of these do not hold up against the Regulation or the case law.
How long do I have to make a Turkish Airlines delay claim?
It depends on where you bring the claim, usually where the flight departed or arrived. Six years in England and Wales; two to five years in most EU countries.
Other Turkish Airlines claims
- Turkish Airlines: delayCompensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time.
- Turkish Airlines: cancellationCompensation is due unless you were told at least 14 days before departure, or were told later but re-routed on a flight that fell inside the timing windows set by Article 5(1)(c).
- Turkish Airlines: denied boardingCompensation is due immediately when you are refused boarding against your will — most often because the flight was overbooked — provided you checked in on time with a confirmed reservation.
- Turkish Airlines: missed connectionWhere all your flights were on a single booking, a delay that makes you miss a connection is measured at your final destination.