ANSWER · UK 261 AND EC 261

UK 261 or EC 261: which one covers my flight?

The departure airport decides first. A flight leaving a UK airport is assessed under the retained UK regulation and pays £220, £350 or £520; a flight leaving an EU or EEA airport is assessed under EC 261 and pays €250, €400 or €600. Compensation is paid once, under the regime of the forum where the claim is brought.

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

Worked routes

SAME CITY PAIR, DIFFERENT REGIME
ROUTE	REGIME	TOP BAND
London to Amsterdam	UK 261	£520
Amsterdam to London	EC 261	€600
London to New York	UK 261	£520
New York to London, UK or EU carrier	UK 261	£520
New York to Paris, EU carrier	EC 261	€600

Bands and amounts read from the rule set. The top band figure shown is before any Art. 7(2) reduction.

Why the amounts differ at all

SI 2019/278 substituted fixed sterling figures for the euro figures when the regulation was retained. The sterling amounts were set once and do not track the exchange rate, so the gap between the two regimes moves with the currency markets rather than with the law.

Where both regimes could reach the flight

An arrival into the UK on an EU carrier from a third country can fall within the UK instrument while the carrier's home regime also has an interest. The practical answer is that the claim is brought in one forum and paid once, and the forum sets both the currency and the limitation period.

THE JUDGMENTS BEHIND THIS ANSWER

Cuadrench Moré, C-139/112012

SOURCES

The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/278), reg. 8 · legislation.gov.uk · checked 7 August 2026
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 3(1) · 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