Kenya Airways flight delay and cancellation compensation

Your rights on a Kenya Airways flight

Kenya Airways, the SkyTeam flag carrier of Kenya, links its Nairobi hub with Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schiphol and London Heathrow. It is neither an EU nor a UK airline, so the European rules protect its passengers in one direction only.

• Departing an EU/EEA airport — EU261 applies, so Paris or Amsterdam to Nairobi is covered.
• Departing a UK airport — UK261 applies to the Heathrow departure.
• Arriving into Europe from Nairobi — not covered. A Nairobi to Amsterdam flight falls outside both regimes, because arrivals from third countries are only protected on EU- or UK-licensed airlines.

The three qualifying events are arrival at your final destination three or more hours late, a cancellation announced less than 14 days before departure, and involuntary denied boarding on an oversold flight.

How much you could receive

The bands depend on great-circle distance, never on the ticket price:

• EUR 250 — up to 1,500 km
• EUR 400 — 1,500 to 3,500 km
• EUR 600 — over 3,500 km

Nairobi is far more than 3,500 km from Europe, so every Kenya Airways route out of Paris, Amsterdam or London sits in the top band: EUR 600 per passenger under EU261 and GBP 520 under UK261's scale of GBP 220 / GBP 350 / GBP 520. If a re-routing lands you in Nairobi under four hours late, the airline may halve the amount. Onward connections within Africa on the same booking count too: the delay is measured where the booking finally ends.

When Kenya Airways doesn't have to pay

Extraordinary circumstances — severe weather, air-traffic-control restrictions, airport closures, security incidents — defeat a claim only when the airline proves them and shows all reasonable measures were taken. The burden of proof never shifts to you. A strike by Kenya Airways' own pilots or crew is generally not extraordinary under the case law that treats staff disputes as part of running an airline; strikes by third parties usually are. Routine technical faults, however inconvenient, remain the airline's responsibility.

How to claim from Kenya Airways

Save the booking reference, boarding passes and the notifications you received, and photograph the departure board if the information on it differs from what the airline later says. Claims go to the airline first; if the answer is a template refusal, the case can go to the French, Dutch or UK enforcement body, or to court within the national deadline. We run each of those steps for you.

What it costs

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.