--- title: "Air China Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation" url: https://flightcompensations.com/airlines/air-china author: "Jaacov Sonenblick" published: 2026-09-04 updated: 2026-10-06 publisher: FlightCompensations summary: "Air China is a Chinese carrier, so EU261 and UK261 cover only its flights leaving an EU/EEA or UK airport — not arrivals from Beijing — worth up to EUR 600." --- # Air China flight delay and cancellation compensation Air China is a Chinese carrier, so EU261 and UK261 cover only its flights leaving an EU/EEA or UK airport — not arrivals from Beijing — worth up to EUR 600. ## When is an Air China flight delay covered? **Air China flight delay** compensation **pays** €600 per passenger on an EU or EEA departure to Beijing, and £520 on a London Heathrow departure. Flights from Beijing into Europe fall outside both EU261 and UK261. You qualify after a three-hour delay at your final destination, a cancellation with under 14 days' notice, or involuntary denied boarding. Air China (CA) is the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China, hubbed at **Beijing** and flying to London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris and Rome. It is **not an EU or UK carrier**, and that single fact decides where your rights reach. Because Air China holds no EU or UK licence, protection attaches to the **airport you departed from**, not to the airline: - **Departing any EU/EEA airport on Air China** — EU261 applies. - **Departing the UK on Air China** — UK261, the retained British version of the rules, applies. - **Arriving into the EU/EEA or the UK from Beijing** — **not covered**, because Air China is not a Community carrier. Inbound flights need an EU airline under EU261, or a UK or EU airline under UK261. So a London Heathrow departure to Beijing is protected; the same route flown Beijing to Heathrow is not. Every Air China route out of Europe is long-haul, which places eligible claims in the top compensation band. The triggers are a **delay of three hours or more at your final destination**, a **cancellation with under 14 days' notice**, or **involuntary denied boarding**. ## How much compensation does Air China owe on a Beijing route? The amount is set by the distance of the route, not the fare or the cabin, and each passenger with a confirmed booking claims separately. - **EUR 250** — flights of 1,500 km or less - **EUR 400** — flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km - **EUR 600** — flights over 3,500 km, which covers Air China's departures from Europe to Beijing UK261 claims use the sterling bands of **GBP 220 / GBP 350 / GBP 520**. ## When Air China doesn't have to pay There is no compensation where the disruption was caused by **extraordinary circumstances** that could not have been avoided even with all reasonable measures — severe weather, air-traffic-control restrictions, airport closures, security alerts or a bird strike. Two points are widely misunderstood: - **The airline carries the burden of proof.** A one-line message citing "operational reasons" is an assertion, not evidence. - **A strike by Air China's own crew is generally not extraordinary**, while strikes by third parties — air-traffic controllers, airport handlers — usually are. Routine technical faults found during ordinary maintenance normally remain the airline's responsibility. ## How do you start a claim against Air China? Keep the booking reference, your boarding pass, and any message announcing the delay or cancellation. Ask, in writing, for the reason. We handle the submission, the follow-up and any appeal from start to finish. ## Is there a fee for an Air China claim? The eligibility check is free. If we recover your compensation we charge a **fixed EUR 39 success fee** — the same whether you're owed EUR 250 or EUR 600 — and the airline's payment goes to you. No win, no fee. ## How to claim Air China compensation Start with the flight itself. Our [free flight check](/claim) reads the recorded times for your Air China flight and tells you which band it falls in, in about two minutes. For the law behind the figure, the [flight delay compensation guide](/flight-delay-compensation) covers arrival delays and the [cancellation compensation guide](/flight-cancellation-compensation) covers a flight that never operated. If Air China has already refused you, the [case law summary](/passenger-rights/case-law) sets out what the courts have said about the usual excuses. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is my Air China flight from Beijing to London covered? No. Air China is a Chinese carrier, not an EU or UK airline, so the inbound leg from Beijing into Europe falls outside both EU261 and UK261. Coverage attaches to the departure airport, so only the leg leaving London, or any other EU/EEA airport, is protected. ### My Air China flight from Frankfurt was cancelled a week before departure. What am I owed? A cancellation with less than 14 days' notice normally triggers fixed compensation unless the replacement flight lands close to your original schedule or Air China proves extraordinary circumstances. Frankfurt to Beijing is over 3,500 km, so the figure is EUR 600 per passenger, on top of your right to a refund or re-routing. ### Do children on the booking get their own Air China compensation? Yes, as long as they held a confirmed seat. Compensation is paid per passenger, so a family of four with four seats claims four times the distance-band amount. An infant travelling on a lap without a seat of their own does not qualify. ## Sources - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32004R0261 - https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/resolving-travel-problems/delays-and-cancellations/ - https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-402/07 - https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-549/07 - https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-195/17 - https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-452/13 Read the full page with the claim check at https://flightcompensations.com/airlines/air-china