ANSWER · UK 261 AND EC 261

Airport staff went on strike. Do I get compensation?

Generally no, and the line is who was striking. The Grand Chamber drew it in Airhelp v SAS on 23 March 2021: industrial action by the carrier's own staff sits inside the business, while action by air traffic controllers or airport staff is external to it. An external strike defeats the Art. 7 compensation, but care and rerouting survive it, with no time cap per McDonagh.

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

Airline strike versus airport strike

A lawful strike by the airline's own pilots or crew is part of running the business (Airhelp v SAS), and so is a wildcat walkout provoked by management decisions (Krüsemann). Security staff, ground handlers employed by the airport, and controllers are outside the airline, so their action can qualify under Art. 5(3).

Rights that survive an external strike

The Art. 8 choice of refund or rerouting, and Art. 9 care for the whole wait. McDonagh, decided on the 2010 ash cloud closure, held the care duty carries no temporal or monetary limit, and necessary, appropriate and reasonable costs can be recovered.

Bumped after a strike? Different rule

Rescheduling after a strike does not let the airline pick which passengers to leave behind. In Finnair v Lassooy the Court held on 4 October 2012 that denying boarding to a passenger two days after the strike still carried the Art. 4(3) compensation.

THE JUDGMENTS BEHIND THIS ANSWER

Airhelp v SAS, C-28/202021 McDonagh, C-12/112013 Finnair v Lassooy, C-22/112012

SOURCES

Case C-28/20 Airhelp v SAS, judgment of 23 March 2021 (Grand Chamber, ECLI:EU:C:2021:191) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
Case C-22/11 Finnair v Lassooy, judgment of 4 October 2012 · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
Case C-12/11 McDonagh v Ryanair, judgment of 31 January 2013 (ECLI:EU:C:2013:43) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026