Jan Son
Published 17 August 2026
General information, not legal advice for your specific case.
Your rights when a flight from Copenhagen is disrupted
Copenhagen Kastrup is Scandinavia's largest airport and the principal hub of SAS, linking the Nordic countries with the rest of Europe and a growing set of long-haul destinations; Norwegian, easyJet and Ryanair also operate substantial schedules. Under EU261, reaching your final destination three or more hours late can entitle you to €250 for routes up to 1,500 km, €400 for 1,500 to 3,500 km, and €600 above 3,500 km. Cancellations notified less than fourteen days ahead and involuntary denied boarding trigger the same amounts, per passenger.
Check what you're owed
Which rules apply at Copenhagen
Denmark is an EU member state, so EU261 covers every departure from Kastrup regardless of the operating airline. Arrivals into Copenhagen are covered only when an EU or EEA carrier operates the flight — SAS returns from the US or Asia are therefore inside the regulation, while the same routes on non-European airlines are not. Flights across the Öresund region and the wider Nordics are short enough that most intra-Scandinavian claims sit in the €250 band, with European routes beyond 1,500 km moving to €400.
What to do at the airport
Get the airline's reason in writing and keep it. Note the time the aircraft doors opened at your final destination — the reference point for the three-hour test. From two hours on short routes, three on medium and four on long-haul, you are owed meals, refreshments, communication and a hotel with transfers if kept overnight, whatever the cause of the disruption. Keep receipts for reasonable spending if nothing is offered.
Common causes of disruption
Kastrup's operation is exposed to Baltic winter weather: snow, ice and de-icing queues reduce capacity, and wind across the Öresund affects landing rates. Tight SAS rotations mean a late inbound aircraft propagates, and European air traffic flow restrictions add their share. Technical faults, crew shortages and schedule changes remain the airline's responsibility. Where an airline pleads extraordinary circumstances it must prove them — a strike by its own pilots or cabin crew is generally not extraordinary, while air traffic control or airport-staff strikes usually are.
Claiming for a flight from Copenhagen
The free eligibility check confirms whether EU261 applies and which band fits your route. We submit and pursue the claim and test any unevidenced refusal; unresolved Danish disputes can be escalated to the Danish Civil Aviation Authority, the national enforcement body for EU261 in Denmark. 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. No win, no fee.
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.
Sources
- https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32004R0261
- https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/resolving-travel-problems/delays-and-cancellations/
- https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-402/07
- https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-549/07
- https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-195/17
- https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-452/13
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