Does EU261 cover an Air Nostrum flight delay?
Air Nostrum flight delay compensation pays €250, €400 or €600 per passenger, set by distance, when you land three or more hours late on an Iberia Regional flight. Air Nostrum holds a Spanish licence, so EU261 covers departures from Europe and the return leg from outside it. A short route pays €250 whatever the fare.
Your ticket says Iberia Regional. The flight number starts IB. The aircraft is a small regional jet or turboprop, and the airline that owns it is Air Nostrum.
Air Nostrum is a Spanish company flying Iberia's regional routes under a franchise. Spain is an EU state, so it holds an EU operating licence.
What a delayed flight pays
Amounts are per passenger, not per booking. A delay of 3–4 hours over 3,500 km may be reduced by half under Article 7(2).
Does the Iberia Regional franchise change your Air Nostrum rights?
It does not change your rights at all. EU261 covers every departure from an EU or EEA airport, whoever operates it. An EU licence adds the return leg from outside Europe.
The sums are €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 between 1,500 and 3,500 km, and €600 beyond:
| Route distance | Compensation per passenger |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km (€400 if the flight is within the EU) | €600 |
Most of this network is short, so the first band covers a lot of it.
A short route pays the same €250 whether the fare was €40 or €400. On regional flying the compensation is often larger than the ticket.
My ticket says Iberia Regional — who owes me?
Air Nostrum, the airline that operated the flight. EU261 puts the duty on the operating airline, even when Iberia sold the ticket under an IB flight number.
Write to Air Nostrum with the IB flight number, the date and the time you landed. The franchise decides whose name goes on the claim, not whether you are owed.
How do you start an Air Nostrum compensation claim?
Start with the flight itself. Our free flight check reads the recorded departure and arrival times and tells you which band your Air Nostrum flight falls in.
A Air Nostrum compensation claim turns on two things: the arrival time, and the reason the airline gives.
For a late arrival, read the flight delay compensation guide. For a flight that never flew, read the cancellation compensation guide. It covers Air Nostrum cancellation compensation too. Has the airline said no? The case law summary sets out what the courts make of the usual excuses.
Check what you're owed
What you need to claim
- Your flight number and date
- The airports you flew between
- Roughly how late you arrived
- Your booking reference, if you still have it
No boarding pass? We can usually work from the flight number and date alone.