Air India Flight Compensation: How to Claim Up to €600 for Delayed or Cancelled Flights

Flew with Air India and your flight was disrupted? Check if you're entitled to Air India flight compensation of up to €600 per person — it's free and takes under 2 minutes.

Air India is India's flag carrier, owned by the Tata Group since January 2022 and the country's largest international airline. It operates from hubs at Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, serving around 90 destinations across more than 30 countries with a fleet of roughly 200 aircraft. A Star Alliance member since 2014, it absorbed the full-service carrier Vistara in November 2024, and Singapore Airlines holds a 25.1% stake in the merged company.

Air India is registered in India, which makes it a non-European carrier under EC 261/2004. Your rights therefore depend on where the flight departed from rather than on the airline's nationality. Every Air India flight leaving a European airport is fully covered. Flights arriving in Europe from India are not.

Because every Air India service between Europe and India runs well beyond 3,500 km, every qualifying Europe-departing flight falls into the maximum compensation band.

This guide explains which Air India flights qualify, how much you can claim, how an Air India refund works under EC 261, and how FlyPayout handles your claim from start to finish.

Why Air India's registration matters for your rights

Air India Limited is headquartered in Gurugram and holds an Indian air operator's certificate. It is not a European carrier, so EC 261 applies on the basis of departure point alone.

Departures from Europe are fully covered. An Air India flight from London Heathrow, Birmingham, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan or Vienna to India falls under EC 261 in full, exactly as if a European airline were operating it.

Arrivals into Europe from India are not covered. A Delhi to Frankfurt or Mumbai to London flight sits outside the regulation, because neither the departure point nor the carrier is European.

On a return trip between Europe and India, this means the outbound leg is claimable and the inbound leg is not. If both were disrupted, only the flight leaving Europe generates an EC 261 entitlement.

India's own passenger rights framework, set by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, governs the return direction. It works on different principles and does not provide the fixed compensation sums EC 261 does, which is why the Europe-departing leg is the one worth pursuing.

How much Air India flight compensation can you claim?

Under EC 261, compensation is fixed by distance:

Flight distance	Compensation
Up to 1,500 km	€250
1,500 km to 3,500 km	€400
Over 3,500 km	€600

Air India's European network consists entirely of long-haul sectors to India, and the shortest of them is more than 5,500 km. The result is straightforward: every qualifying Air India flight departing Europe is worth €600 per passenger.

Route (departing Europe)	Approximate distance	Compensation
Vienna to Delhi	~5,545 km	€600
Frankfurt to Delhi	~6,120 km	€600
Milan to Delhi	~6,160 km	€600
Amsterdam to Delhi	~6,360 km	€600
Paris to Delhi	~6,565 km	€600
London Heathrow to Delhi	~6,730 km	€600
Birmingham to Delhi	~6,795 km	€600
London Heathrow to Mumbai	~7,215 km	€600

A family of four on a delayed Paris to Delhi flight can claim €2,400 in total. The amount has nothing to do with what the tickets cost or which cabin you flew.

When do you qualify for Air India flight delay compensation?

Flight delays

If your Air India flight departed a European airport and arrived at its final destination 3 or more hours late, you qualify for Air India flight delay compensation. The delay is measured on arrival, not departure, so a flight that pushes back late but recovers time in the air may not qualify.

The delay must also not have been caused by extraordinary circumstances beyond the airline's control.

Full details: Flight Delay Compensation

Cancelled flights

If Air India cancelled your Europe-departing flight and notified you less than 14 days before departure, you are entitled to Air India flight cancellation compensation at the same €600 rate, plus a choice between a full refund and rebooking. Notice of 14 days or more removes the compensation entitlement but not the refund or rebooking right.

On routes operating once daily or less, a cancellation frequently means a wait of 24 hours or more for the replacement. That delay at your final destination is what the claim is assessed on.

Full details: Flight Cancellation Compensation

Denied boarding

If Air India involuntarily denies you boarding on a Europe-departing flight because it is oversold, compensation is payable immediately at the airport. The airline must seek volunteers before bumping anyone against their will.

Full details: Denied Boarding Compensation

Missed connections through Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru

Air India's European services feed onward traffic across India, Southeast Asia and Australia, and most passengers connect at Delhi rather than ending their journey there.

If a delay leaving Europe caused you to miss that connection and the journey was on a single booking, compensation is calculated on the total journey distance and your arrival delay at the final destination. A Frankfurt to Delhi to Melbourne itinerary disrupted on the first leg is assessed on Frankfurt to Melbourne.

Full details: Missed Connection Compensation

Air India refund policy under EC 261

When your Europe-departing Air India flight is cancelled, or delayed by 5 or more hours, an Air India refund of the full ticket price is due within 7 days, covering taxes and fees on any unused portion, plus a return flight to your original departure point if you have already flown part of the trip. The alternative is rebooking on the next available flight or at a later date of your choosing.

This overrides fare conditions completely. A restricted economy ticket sold as non-refundable is fully refundable when Air India is the party cancelling. An Air India refund claim on these grounds does not depend on the fare rules attached to your booking.

What Air India must provide during disruptions

Whether or not compensation is owed, Air India must provide care when a Europe-departing flight is delayed:

Delay threshold	What you're entitled to
2+ hours (flights up to 1,500 km)	Meals, refreshments, 2 phone calls or emails
3+ hours (flights 1,500 km to 3,500 km)	Meals, refreshments, 2 phone calls or emails
4+ hours (flights over 3,500 km)	Meals, refreshments, 2 phone calls or emails
Overnight delay	Hotel accommodation plus transport to and from the hotel
5+ hours	Right to abandon the journey plus full refund

Every Air India route from Europe exceeds 3,500 km, so the four-hour threshold is the operative one. Most European departures run once daily, which means a cancellation usually triggers an overnight hotel obligation rather than a same-day rebooking. If nothing is offered, cover the costs yourself, keep every receipt and claim reimbursement.

Air India and extraordinary circumstances

Air India is not required to pay compensation when a disruption is caused by events genuinely outside its control: severe weather, air traffic control restrictions or strikes, security threats, and airport closures ordered by authorities.

These do not qualify: technical faults, maintenance issues, crew shortages or illness, and strikes by the airline's own staff.

The distinction carries particular weight here. Air India is in the middle of a large fleet retrofit programme running through 2027, alongside the integration of a second airline's aircraft and crews. Disruptions arising from aircraft substitution, cabin refit scheduling or crew rostering during that transition are operational matters within the airline's control, however they are described in a rejection letter.

If Air India rejects your claim citing extraordinary circumstances, FlyPayout verifies the defence against the actual flight data.

Flew Vistara? Your claim is against Air India

Vistara legally merged into Air India on 12 November 2024 and no longer exists as a separate carrier. Former Vistara aircraft, crews and routes now operate under Air India flight numbers beginning with 2, such as AI 2955, and some still carry the old livery.

If your disrupted flight was sold or operated as Vistara, the claim is now made against Air India as the successor entity, and the amount owed is unaffected. Vistara's separate customer channels closed with the merger, which is one reason older claims from that period often go unanswered.

Air India Express is a different airline

Air India Express is the group's low-cost subsidiary, which absorbed AIX Connect and flies a separate narrowbody network to the Gulf, Southeast Asia and within India. It does not serve Europe.

This matters because the two are frequently confused. If your booking shows an IX flight number, you were on Air India Express, and any claim is filed against that carrier rather than Air India. FlyPayout identifies the operating carrier from the flight number.

The same rule applies to Star Alliance codeshares. A ticket bought with an AI code but flown by Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian or Singapore Airlines is a claim against that airline.

Air India baggage compensation

Baggage sits under the Montreal Convention, to which India and every EU member state are parties. If Air India loses, delays or damages your checked luggage, you can claim up to 1,519 SDR — approximately €1,800 per passenger. That limit rose from 1,288 SDR on 28 December 2024 and covers destroyed, lost, damaged and delayed bags as one per-passenger cap.

Unlike EC 261, the Montreal Convention applies in both directions, so your baggage rights survive on the return leg from India even where your delay compensation rights do not.

Deadlines: report damage in writing within 7 days of receiving the bag, and delay within 21 days of delivery. Baggage still missing after 21 days is treated as lost.

See our guides to lost luggage, delayed luggage, and damaged luggage.

Time limits for filing an Air India claim

Because only Europe-departing flights fall under EC 261, the limitation period is set by the European country you left rather than by India.

This varies widely. Spain and France allow 5 years, Germany 3, Italy and the Netherlands 2, and the United Kingdom 6. That last figure matters more than usual here, since the UK is Air India's largest European market: a disrupted Heathrow or Birmingham departure remains claimable for six years.

If your flight left a European airport within the last few years, check rather than assume the window has closed.

How FlyPayout Claims Your Air India Compensation

Air India, like most airlines, doesn't always pay compensation voluntarily. Claims may be ignored, delayed, or rejected with vague references to circumstances beyond the airline's control, and pursuing a carrier headquartered outside Europe adds a layer most passengers cannot handle. FlyPayout handles the entire process for you.

Step 1: Check your flight. Enter your Air India flight details into our free compensation calculator. In under 2 minutes, you'll know if you're eligible for compensation and how much you could receive.

Step 2: Submit your claim. If your Air India flight qualifies, FlyPayout handles everything — the paperwork, the airline communication, and the case management.

Step 3: Get paid. We negotiate with Air India on your behalf. If they refuse to pay, our legal team takes the case to court. We only charge our fee when you receive your money.

Why Choose FlyPayout?

•      Every Air India route from Europe is in the €600 band — the maximum EC 261 pays.

•      We handle former Vistara flights, which many passengers assume are no longer claimable.

•      No win, no fee — you never pay upfront.

•      Expert legal team ready to take your case to court if Air India refuses to pay.

•      You submit the details, we handle the case from start to finish.

Check your compensation →

Frequently Asked Questions About Air India Compensation

How much Air India flight delay compensation am I entitled to?

€600 per passenger, provided your flight departed a European airport and arrived 3 or more hours late. Every Air India route out of Europe is a long-haul sector to India beyond 5,500 km, which places all of them in the top band regardless of which city you left from.

My Air India flight from Delhi to Europe was delayed. Can I claim?

Not under EC 261. Air India is a non-European carrier and the flight did not depart from Europe, so the regulation does not apply to that leg. If your outbound flight from Europe was also disrupted, that one is claimable. Baggage rights under the Montreal Convention apply in both directions regardless.

I flew Vistara before the merger. Can I still claim?

Yes. Vistara merged into Air India on 12 November 2024, and Air India took on its obligations as the successor entity. A disrupted Vistara flight from a European airport is claimed against Air India, and the amount owed is unchanged. Whether the window is still open depends on the limitation period in your departure country.

Does Air India flight cancellation compensation apply if I was rebooked?

Yes. Being rebooked does not remove the entitlement. Compensation is assessed on how late you eventually reached your final destination, so if the replacement flight got you there more than three hours behind schedule, the claim stands. On once-daily European routes that gap is often a full day.

Is an Air India refund the same thing as compensation?

No. A refund returns money you paid for a ticket you did not use. Compensation is a separate payment for the disruption itself. If Air India cancelled your Europe-departing flight, you may be entitled to both, and accepting a refund does not waive the compensation claim.

My flight number started with IX. Is that Air India?

It is Air India Express, the group's separate low-cost airline. It operates its own network to the Gulf, Southeast Asia and within India, and does not fly to Europe. Claims are filed against Air India Express rather than Air India, though your rights are the same where EC 261 applies.

Air India offered me a voucher instead of cash. Should I accept?

Compensation under EC 261 is a cash entitlement, and a voucher is only an alternative if you actively agree to it. Vouchers typically carry expiry dates and route restrictions that cash does not, and accepting one may be treated as settling your claim in full.

Your Air India flight was disrupted. Get what you're owed.

Every Air India route out of Europe crosses 3,500 km by a wide margin, which means every qualifying disruption is worth the full €600 per passenger. If your flight was delayed three hours or more, cancelled at short notice, or you were denied boarding, that money is owed to you. Most passengers flying carriers headquartered outside Europe assume they have no rights. On the departing leg, they do.

Check your Air India flight now — it takes less than 2 minutes, and it's completely free.

FlyPayout helps passengers claim compensation for flight delays, cancellations, denied boarding, overbooking, missed connections, and baggage claims. Our service is risk-free — you only pay when we succeed.