At a glance
Which rules cover your flight?
Look at where the flight departs and which airline operates it. EU rules cover flights leaving the EU on any airline and flights into the EU on EU airlines. The UK's rules do the same for the UK. US refund rules cover flights to, from and within the US. The GCAA's cover disruption at UAE airports.
Which rules apply, by example journey
| Journey | Rules that apply | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Paris to Dubai, any airline | EU261[2][1] | It departs from an EU airport[2] |
| Dubai to Paris on an EU airline | EU261; GCAA rules while at DXB[2][8] | It arrives in the EU on an EU carrier[2] |
| Dubai to Paris on a UAE airline | GCAA rules while at DXB; not EU261[2][8] | EU261 covers arrivals only on EU carriers[2] |
| London to Dubai, any airline | UK261[4] | It departs from a UK airport[4] |
| Dubai to London on a UK or EU airline | UK261; GCAA rules while at DXB[4][8] | It arrives in the UK on a UK or EU carrier[4] |
| Dubai to New York, any scheduled airline | US refund rules; GCAA rules while at DXB[7][8] | US rules cover scheduled flights to and from the US, on US and foreign airlines[7] |
Our reading of the scope articles: Article 3 of Regulation 261/2004 and of the UK's version of it, 14 CFR 260.2 and the GCAA's PWP.A.003. The GCAA's rules apply to disruption at UAE airports; disruption elsewhere follows local rules[8]. The Commission says the EU rules also extend to Iceland, Norway and Switzerland[1].
What does EU261 give you?
Care while you wait, a refund if the delay reaches five hours and you give up the trip, and fixed compensation of 250, 400 or 600 euros if you arrive three hours late or more, or your flight is cancelled at short notice, unless the airline shows extraordinary circumstances.
EU261 by flight distance
Care means meals and refreshments, a hotel and transfers where an overnight stay is needed, and two calls or emails[2]. Compensation can be halved when the airline re-routes you and you arrive only a little later than planned[2]. The amounts are the regulation's own; the Commission's page gives them in euros[1].
- Delays: compensation is due when you reach your final destination three hours late or more; after a five-hour delay you may choose a refund instead of travelling[1].
- Cancellations: no compensation is due if you were told at least two weeks before departure, or, with shorter notice, offered re-routing within set time windows[2].
- Extraordinary circumstances: the Commission gives adverse weather, air traffic management decisions, political instability and security risks as examples; most technical problems found during maintenance, and strikes by the airline's own staff, are not[1].
- Claiming: complain to the airline first; if it has not replied within two months, or you are not satisfied with its reply, you can go to the national enforcement body, which gives a non-binding opinion[1].
What changes under the UK's rules?
The structure is the same. UK261 keeps the EU pattern: care after two, three or four hours depending on distance, a refund after five hours, and compensation of 220, 350 or 520 pounds for arriving three hours late or more, unless the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances.
The UK's version of the regulation covers passengers departing from a UK airport, and passengers flying into the UK on a UK or EU airline[4]. The Civil Aviation Authority sets out the care thresholds as at least two hours for flights under 1,500 km, three hours for 1,500 to 3,500 km and four hours over 3,500 km, and a refund if you are delayed five hours or more and choose not to travel[3].
Compensation is 220 pounds for flights of 1,500 km or less, 350 pounds for 1,500 to 3,500 km and 520 pounds for longer flights[5]; the CAA notes that on flights over 3,500 km a delay of three to four hours gives 260 pounds[3]. It is not automatic: contact the airline, and if you are not satisfied with its final response, or it has not replied within eight weeks, go to the alternative dispute resolution scheme it belongs to or, if it has none, the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team[3].
What do US rules give you?
A refund, not compensation. If an airline cancels, or significantly delays or changes, a flight to, from or within the US and you choose not to travel, you are owed a refund. A significant delay is three hours for domestic and six hours for international itineraries.
- When: a cancellation for any reason, or a significant change: arriving 3 hours or more late on a domestic itinerary or 6 hours or more on an international one, a different airport, more connections, or a downgrade[6].
- How fast: if you reject or do not respond to the airline's alternative, the refund is automatic, within 7 business days for card payments and 20 calendar days for other payments[6].
- Who: US and foreign airlines operating scheduled flights to, from or within the United States[7].
- Compensation: the Department of Transportation does not set any; for delays within an airline's control, it points to the airline's own customer service plan and its dashboard of airline commitments[6].
What must airlines do when a flight is disrupted in the UAE?
Look after you. The GCAA's Passenger Welfare Program requires information for delays of one to three hours, meals, refreshments and communication for three to eight hours, and a hotel with transport for longer delays. It lists care and re-routing, not fixed cash sums.
The GCAA's Passenger Welfare Program for delays at UAE airports
| Anticipated delay from scheduled departure | What passengers must be given |
|---|---|
| 1 to 3 hours | Up-to-date flight information[8] |
| 3 to 8 hours | Information, free meals and refreshments, a means of communication, and a hotel if you have missed a connection and the next is more than 8 hours away[8] |
| More than 8 hours | A hotel, free meals and refreshments, a means of communication, and transport to and from the hotel[8] |
CAR-PWP, Issue 02, applicable from 1 January 2025. It applies to airlines flying to and from UAE airports, UAE and foreign alike, and to UAE airports; it does not apply to free tickets or fares not available to the public[8].
- Cancellations: airlines must tell you as early as practicable, offer care, carry you and your bags on another flight as soon as practicable, and offer a return to your starting point or re-routing, including on another airline subject to availability[8].
- Denied boarding: a return flight or re-routing, and care as appropriate[8].
- Dubai: on 28 April 2026 the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority launched an Aviation Consumer Welfare Directive, governing the relationship between passengers, airlines and licensed travel agents, and a complaints service on its website[9].
- Emirates' own policy: it says it will try to rebook you on the first available connection, and that rebooked passengers facing a Dubai connection of 10 to 24 hours might be eligible for its Dubai Connect hotel service[10].
What should you do when your flight is delayed or cancelled?
- Keep your boarding pass and booking, and note the times you actually departed and arrived; EU and UK compensation turns on arrival time[1][3].
- Ask the airline for the care the rules give you, and keep receipts for anything you have to buy[2][8].
- If you would rather not travel, say so: a refund is available after five hours in the EU and UK, and after a significant delay in the US[1][3][6].
- Claim from the airline in writing; then go to the national enforcement body in the EU, an ADR scheme or the CAA in the UK, or the DCAA's complaints service in Dubai[1][3][9].
Travel insurance can cover costs the rules do not, such as a missed hotel night at your destination; buy it from a licensed insurer where you live. We do not sell, arrange or advise on insurance.
Questions travellers ask
Does EU261 cover an Emirates flight from Dubai to Europe?
Not under the regulation's scope: for flights arriving in the EU it applies only when the operating airline is an EU carrier[2]. A flight from Europe to Dubai is covered on any airline, because it departs from the EU[2].
How much compensation can I get for a delayed flight from London?
Under UK261, 220, 350 or 520 pounds depending on distance, if you arrive at least three hours late and the delay was not caused by extraordinary circumstances[5][3].
Do US rules give compensation for delays?
No. They give a refund if a flight is cancelled or significantly delayed and you choose not to travel; compensation for delays within an airline's control depends on that airline's own commitments[6].
What must an airline give me if my flight from Dubai is delayed overnight?
Under the GCAA's Passenger Welfare Program, for an anticipated delay of more than eight hours: a hotel, meals and refreshments, a means of communication and transport between the airport and the hotel[8].
Sources
The desk opened each source on the date shown. Rules, fees and timetables change: check the official source before you travel.
- [1]Air passenger rights — European Commission (Your Europe). Accessed 25 September 2026
- [2]Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights — EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the European Union). Accessed 25 September 2026
- [3]Delays — UK Civil Aviation Authority. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [4]Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 3: Scope (UK version) — legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives). Accessed 25 September 2026
- [5]Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 7: Right to compensation (UK version) — legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives). Accessed 25 September 2026
- [6]Refunds — US Department of Transportation. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [7]14 CFR Part 260: Refunds for Airline Fare and Ancillary Service Fees — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). Accessed 25 September 2026
- [8]Civil Aviation Regulations: Passenger Welfare Program (CAR-PWP), Issue 02 — General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), UAE. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [9]Dubai Civil Aviation Authority launches Aviation Consumer Welfare Directive and related service to enhance passenger rights in Dubai (28 April 2026) — Dubai Media Office. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [10]Disrupted travel (FAQ) — Emirates. Accessed 25 September 2026
Corrections
- : The short answer said EU and UK rules cover flights leaving Europe; they cover flights leaving the EU, UK, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, so a flight from Istanbul, for example, is not covered. An earlier version also said our insurance desk could set out what a policy includes; we do not sell, arrange or advise on insurance.
Published 25 September 2026 · Updated 29 September 2026
Seen something wrong or out of date? Write to trade@nwp.ae and the desk will check it against the source.
