Is a BA CityFlyer flight delay covered by UK261 or EU261?
BA CityFlyer flight delay compensation pays £220 to £520 per passenger under UK261 on flights from a UK airport, or €250 to €600 under EU261 on flights from an EU airport. You qualify when you arrive three or more hours late, when the airline cancels with under fourteen days' notice, or when an oversold flight leaves you behind.
BA CityFlyer is British Airways' wholly owned subsidiary operating from London City, flying short-haul routes into Europe on a UK operating licence. Since the United Kingdom left the EU, which regime applies depends on where the flight started.
- Departing London City or any UK airport — UK261 applies, in sterling.
- Departing any EU or EEA airport — EU261 applies, in euros, because the departure airport is inside the zone.
- Arriving in the UK from outside it on BA CityFlyer — UK261 applies, because the carrier holds a UK licence.
The two regimes are the same rules in different currencies, so the practical question is only which number to claim.
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).
How much is a BA CityFlyer claim worth in pounds or euros?
UK261 pays in pounds and EU261 in euros, on the same distance bands:
| Route distance | UK261 (UK departure) | EU261 (EU departure) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | £220 | €250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | £350 | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | £520 | €600 |
London City's network is short-haul, so most claims sit in the lower two bands.
The triggers are the same either way: arriving three or more hours late at your final destination, a cancellation with less than fourteen days' notice, or being denied boarding on an oversold flight. Every passenger on the booking is owed separately.
Does a London City diversion count towards a BA CityFlyer delay?
London City's short runway and its steep approach make it more weather-sensitive than the larger London airports, and diversions to Stansted or Southend are not unusual. A diversion does not end the airline's obligation: it must get you to the airport you were booked to, and the clock keeps running until you arrive there.
That added time frequently pushes a claim over the three-hour line. Our diverted flight guide covers how those claims are measured.
Can BA CityFlyer refuse a claim because of the weather?
Weather sits outside the airline's control, but that answers only half the legal test — the airline must also show that no reasonable measure would have avoided the disruption. If other carriers operated into London City that afternoon and yours did not, that is worth asking about. Our guide to the weather excuse sets out the questions.
How do you claim BA CityFlyer flight delay compensation?
Start with the flight itself. Our free flight check reads the recorded departure and arrival times for your BA CityFlyer flight and tells you which band it falls in, in about two minutes.
A BA CityFlyer compensation claim turns on the arrival time and on the reason the airline gives, so read both before you write. The flight delay compensation guide sets out the bands, and the cancellation compensation guide covers BA CityFlyer cancellation compensation for a flight that never operated. If the airline refuses, the case law summary sets out what the courts have accepted as an excuse and what they have thrown out.
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.