Does EU261 cover a Lauda Europe flight delay?
Lauda Europe flight delay compensation pays €250 to €600 per passenger under EU261 when you land three or more hours late. Lauda Europe holds a Maltese licence, which makes it an EU airline, so the regulation covers its flights in both directions. Distance sets the amount, never the fare you paid.
You booked Ryanair. You boarded an Airbus in Lauda colours. That surprises people, and it raises a fair question: whose name goes on the claim?
Lauda Europe's, because it operated the flight. It is part of the Ryanair group, and it holds a Maltese operating licence. Malta is an EU state, so Lauda Europe is an EU airline.
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).
What does Lauda Europe's EU licence give you?
It covers the flight in both directions. EU261 always covers a departure from an EU or EEA airport, whoever flies it. It covers an arrival into the EU from outside only when an EU airline operates the flight — and Lauda Europe is one.
So a Vienna to Marrakesh flight and the return leg are both covered.
The amounts run from €250 on short routes to €400 in the middle band and €600 on the longest. Distance fixes them, never the fare:
| 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 |
I booked Ryanair — why does the aircraft say Lauda?
The Ryanair group runs several airlines. Ryanair DAC in Ireland, Ryanair UK, Buzz in Poland, Malta Air and Lauda Europe all fly under the same booking system and the same low fares.
Send your claim to Lauda Europe, the airline that operated the flight, using the flight number on your boarding pass. EU261 puts the duty on the operating airline, even when Ryanair sold the ticket. The different name on the tail does not reduce what you are owed.
How do you claim Lauda Europe flight delay compensation?
Start with the flight itself. Our free flight check reads the recorded departure and arrival times and tells you which band your Lauda Europe flight falls in.
A Lauda Europe 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 Lauda Europe 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.