Kuwait Airways flight delay and cancellation compensation

Your rights on a Kuwait Airways flight

Kuwait Airways, the state-owned flag carrier of Kuwait, serves Europe from Kuwait City with flights to London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt. It holds no EU or UK operating licence, so the European compensation regimes apply one way only.

• Departing an EU/EEA airport — EU261 covers a Paris or Frankfurt departure to Kuwait City.
• Departing a UK airport — UK261 covers the Heathrow departure.
• Arriving into Europe from Kuwait — not covered. A Kuwait City to Frankfurt flight is outside both regimes, however long the delay, because inbound flights on non-EU, non-UK carriers fall outside the rules.

Three events create a claim: arriving at the final destination three or more hours late, a cancellation with less than 14 days' notice, and involuntary denied boarding on an oversold flight when you checked in on time.

How much you could receive

Amounts are fixed in law and scale with distance, not with the fare:

• EUR 250 — flights of 1,500 km or less
• EUR 400 — flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km
• EUR 600 — flights over 3,500 km

Kuwait City sits more than 3,500 km from each of the airline's European destinations, so a qualifying disruption on these routes is worth EUR 600 per passenger from the EU, or GBP 520 from London under the UK bands of GBP 220 / GBP 350 / GBP 520. A family of four with confirmed seats claims four times over; an infant travelling on a lap without a seat does not qualify.

When Kuwait Airways doesn't have to pay

No compensation is due where the disruption stems from extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided with all reasonable measures — think severe weather, air-traffic-control restrictions, airport closures or security incidents. The burden of proof lies with the airline: a short refusal citing operational reasons is not evidence. Strikes by Kuwait Airways' own staff are generally not extraordinary, third-party strikes usually are, and technical faults arising from ordinary operations and maintenance remain the airline's responsibility.

How to claim from Kuwait Airways

Hold on to the booking reference, boarding passes and every notification of the delay or cancellation, and ask for the reason in writing. The airline may require identity and bank verification before paying out. We prepare the claim, submit it, follow up, and take a wrongly refused case to the enforcement body of the departure country or to court within the applicable national deadline.

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.