Drones at the airport: Passenger rights in the event of delays and flight cancellations explained

Drones are increasingly causing chaos at airports – find out what this means for your passenger rights and when you are entitled to compensation here

Whether at Munich Airport, Copenhagen Airport, or even in Mallorca – the increasing number of drone incidents is leading to more and more temporary closures of runways. Such situations then result in annoying flight delays or even flight cancellations.

For many travelers, this raises the question: Am I entitled to compensation? We asked our Flightright air passenger rights expert Oskar de Felice about the current legal situation.

Drones as a cause of flight cancellations

• A drone is spotted above or near a runway, whereupon flight operations are suspended for safety reasons.

• Such sightings lead to closures of airspace or runways at airports.

• This in turn leads to flight cancellations and delays.

• The airline must now take action and check “which alternative means of transport will get the passenger to their destination the fastest. This can be either a replacement flight or ground transportation, for example by train or bus,” says legal expert de Felice.

Who is responsible for the drone incident?

When a drone is sighted at an airport, it is always a third party, i.e., not the airline itself. The incident is therefore beyond the direct control of the airline or air traffic control.

This falls under the category of extraordinary circumstances, which always apply when a scenario is notthe responsibility of the airline. According to the European Air Passenger Rights Regulation, passengers are therefore unfortunately not entitled to compensation.

What exactly are extraordinary circumstances?

According to the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation (EC 261/2004), airlines are obliged to compensate passengers for flight delays or cancellations – unless the cause of the problem is beyond their control.

“This refers to extraordinary circumstances which, due to their nature or cause, are not part of the normal exercise of the activity of the air carrier concerned and are not actually under the control of the air carrier. Drone flights at airports are obviously not part of normal airline operations and, even if there is potential for disruption, they cannot be completely controlled, and above all, not by the airline,” explains the expert.

The aim of this regulation is to protect airlines from financial liability when they objectively have no control over events.

The most common extraordinary circumstances include:

• Severe weather: e.g., heavy thunderstorms, storms, fog, ice, or snowfall.

• Security risks: such as terror warnings, bomb threats, or sabotage.

• Strikes: in particular by airport staff, security personnel, or air traffic control (but not in the case of internal airline strikes).

• Airspace closures: due to military activities or political unrest.

• Technical defects caused by external influences: such as bird strikes or collisions with drones.

• Natural disasters: e.g., volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, or floods.

Good to know: All of these cases exempt airlines from their obligation to pay compensation—but not from their obligation to provide care and re-routing.

My flight is delayed due to a drone sighting – am I entitled to compensation?

Yes and no. Passengers are not entitled to the usual compensation of between €250 and €600, as the airline is not responsible for the flight delay.

However, if the delay is 2 hours or more, you are still entitled to meals as a traveler in accordance with EU Regulation EC 261/2004. These are often issued in the form of vouchers directly from the airline’s service center. If this does not happen, you can buy a meal and drink yourself and claim the costs, including the receipt, from the airline later. If your flight is delayed overnight, the airline must also cover hotel costs and transportation to and from the airport.

If your departure is delayed by more than 5 hours, as a passenger you have the choice of canceling your trip completely and receiving a refund for your ticket, or using an alternative means of transportation. Airlines often offer rebooking on alternative flights in such cases. “If the airline fails to fulfill its obligation to provide alternative transportation as quickly as possible, you as a passenger also have the right to book alternative transportation to your destination yourself and have the costs reimbursed,” explains legal expert de Felice.

My flight was canceled due to a drone sighting – am I entitled to compensation?

Again, it depends. In general, you are not entitled to compensation because a drone incident constitutes an extraordinary circumstance.

In the event of a cancellation, you can choose whether you want to be reimbursed for the full ticket price (and cancel your trip or take matters into your own hands) or demand alternative transportation from the airline as quickly as possible. If the airline does not offer this choice, including a specific replacement flight, or only offers it incompletely, you can book a new flight at your own expense. From Flightright’s point of view, the lack of or incorrect replacement flight offer means that the claim for compensation is revived.

If the canceled flight is part of a package tour, the Air Passenger Rights Regulation continues to apply. All rights against the airline for care services, possible compensation, and replacement flights continue to apply. However, your tour operator is often the better point of contact. Flightright therefore recommends that you contact your tour operator for a replacement flight in this case.

Drones at the airport: What you need to do now

Are you affected by a flight delay or cancellation due to a drone incident? Then you should act now!

• Request assistance: If your flight is delayed by at least two hours, you can request snacks, drinks, and access to communication facilities. If the delay is overnight, you can request a hotel from the airline.

• Check your compensation claim: Use our free Flightright calculator to check whether your flight incident entitles you to compensation.

• Meet the deadline: Whether your flight problem occurred a week or a year ago, in Germany you are entitled to compensation for up to three years. Example: If your flight problem occurred on January 10, 2025, you have until December 31, 2028—that’s almost four years! The limitation period always begins three years after the end of the year in which the problem occurred.

Conclusion

Drone incidents are a growing risk for air traffic – and an unpleasant uncertainty for travelers. In most cases, they are considered extraordinary circumstances, which exempt airlines from paying flat-rate compensation. Nevertheless, passengers still have important rights to care services such as meals or hotel costs.

Whether compensation is still possible depends on the individual case – in particular, whether the airline took sufficient measures. With Flightright, passengers can easily check and assert their claim.