ANSWER · EC 261

My return flight was cancelled. Does EC 261 cover it?

It depends on where the return departs from. EC 261 covers every flight departing an EU or EEA airport whatever the airline, and flights into the EU only where the operating carrier is an EU carrier. A return from New York to Amsterdam is covered on a European airline and outside the regulation on a US one.

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

Each leg is assessed separately

ART. 3(1) SCOPE, APPLIED TO A RETURN
RETURN ROUTE	OPERATING CARRIER	EC 261 APPLIES
Madrid to Cairo	Any airline	Yes, EU departure
Cairo to Madrid	EU airline	Yes
Cairo to Madrid	Non EU airline	No
Cairo to London	UK or EU airline	UK 261 applies instead

Art. 3(1)(a) and 3(1)(b). The outbound being covered says nothing about the return.

One booking does not merge two flights

A single reference number covering an outbound and a return does not turn them into one journey for scope purposes. Connections are different: on a single booking with a through connection, Folkerts measures the delay to the final ticketed destination.

Where the claim would be brought

The departure country generally sets the forum, and the forum sets the limitation period. Cuadrench Moré held that time limits for a Regulation 261/2004 claim come from national law, which is why a return leg can carry a different deadline from the outbound.

THE JUDGMENTS BEHIND THIS ANSWER

Folkerts, C-11/112013 Cuadrench Moré, C-139/112012

SOURCES

Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 3(1) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
Case C-11/11 Air France v Folkerts, judgment of 26 February 2013 (Grand Chamber, ECLI:EU:C:2013:110) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
Case C-139/11 Cuadrench Moré v KLM, judgment of 22 November 2012 (ECLI:EU:C:2012:741) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026