FlightRepay

WIZZ AIR · DELAY · W6 · UK 261 AND EC 261

What is a Wizz Air delay of 3+ hours worth?

A Wizz Air flight arriving 3 hours or more late at its final destination carries fixed compensation under EC 261 and UK 261, €250, €400 or €600 or £220, £350 or £520 by distance, unless the airline proves an extraordinary circumstance it could not avoid. In the CAA's May 2026 statistics, 0.29 percent of 4,902 matched Wizz Air flights were recorded past that line.

REVIEWED AGAINST RULE SET V6 AND THE CITED PRIMARY SOURCES · UPDATED 7 AUGUST 2026

How often Wizz Air flights ran badly late, May 2026

UK CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY PUNCTUALITY STATISTICS, MAY 2026
MEASUREVALUE
Flights matched4,902
More than 3 hours late0.29%
Two to three hours late0.59%
One to two hours late2.43%
Average delay9.2 minutes
Contains data from the UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics. Figures aggregate the CAA operators marketed as Wizz Air: WIZZ AIR, WIZZ AIR UK LTD, WIZZ AIR MALTA.

When does a Wizz Air delay pay compensation?

From 3 hours late at the final destination, measured when the doors open, not at pushback. The amount is fixed by great circle distance and does not depend on the fare.

COMPENSATION BY DISTANCE BAND, ART. 7(1)
DISTANCE BANDEC 261UK 261
Up to 1,500 km€250£220
1,500 to 3,500 km€400£350
Over 3,500 km€600£520
Bands and amounts read from rule set v5, the same data the free check evaluates.

What can Wizz Air argue against paying?

Art. 5(3): an extraordinary circumstance that could not have been avoided even with all reasonable measures, proved by the airline. The Court of Justice has held technical faults and strikes by an airline's own staff are generally not extraordinary, while weather, air traffic control restrictions and bird strikes generally are. The stated reason decides the claim, which is why the free check asks for it.

Common questions

Wizz Air rebooked me. Can I still claim compensation?

Rerouting satisfies one duty; compensation is a separate one. On a cancellation with under 14 days notice, compensation can still be due where the replacement flight fell outside the departure and arrival windows in Art. 5(1)(c). The free check applies those windows to your times.

I accepted a refund. Is compensation gone?

No. The Art. 8 refund covers the unused ticket; Art. 7 compensation is a separate claim for the disruption itself. Accepting one does not waive the other.

Can Wizz Air pay the compensation as a voucher?

Art. 7(3) requires payment in money (cash, transfer or cheque) unless the passenger signs an agreement to accept travel vouchers or other services. You can decline a voucher and ask for the cash amount.

What about meals and hotels while I waited?

Care under Art. 9 (meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the wait, plus accommodation and transfers where an overnight stay becomes necessary) is a separate duty, and it applies even where the cause was outside the airline's control. Keep receipts.

CONTAINS DATA FROM THE UK CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY PUNCTUALITY STATISTICS.

SOURCES

  1. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 7(1) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
  2. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 5(3) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 8(1) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
  4. Joined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 Sturgeon v Condor, judgment of 19 November 2009 (ECLI:EU:C:2009:716) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
  5. UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics, full analysis (monthly CSV) · UK Civil Aviation Authority · checked 7 August 2026

OTHER WIZZ AIR DISRUPTIONS

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The free check applies these rules to your Wizz Air flight and shows the amount before any personal details.

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