Flight disruptions have dropped, but millions of UK travellers could be missing out on compensation

Over 75K EU flights delayed in 2025—passengers owed up to €600 each under EU261. Skycop reveals €2.2B in unclaimed compensation. Check eligibility now!

VILNIUS, LITHUANIA, July 31, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Millions of Passengers Might Be Owed Hundreds for a Delayed Flight in 2025 — Here’s What They Can Do About It.

For UK passengers who flew through Europe this year and experienced significant delays or cancellations, there’s a good chance they’re entitled to compensation. Many are owed up to €600 (around £515) and haven’t claimed it yet.

According to new data from passenger rights platform Skycop, more than 75,000 flights in the first six months of 2025 were disrupted. Under EU261 regulations — the rules that protect travellers when flights are delayed by more than three hours or cancelled without warning — many of the passengers booked on these flights are eligible for compensation.

Under the EU261 regulation, passengers are entitled to compensation for significant delays when departing from EU airports (regardless of airline origin) and when arriving at EU airports with EU-registered airlines. If a departing flight arrives at its final destination more than three hours late, passengers are entitled to compensation ranging from €250 to €600, depending on the flight distance.

Despite the fact that the number of delays has generally been reduced — 1.1% of 2025 flights were disrupted, compared to 1.6% during the same period last year — the numbers remain striking:

- Around 1 in every 90 flights in Europe so far this year qualified for compensation
- Up to 10 million travellers were affected
- A potential total of €2.2 billion (approx. £1.9 billion) in compensation is owed

The €2.2 billion potential compensation estimate is based on conservative assumptions of 120 passengers per departing flight and a minimum payout of €250. However, up to half of disruption cases fall outside airline liability due to events such as severe weather or strikes.

Interestingly, many UK travellers don’t know they can still claim, even months after their trip has ended. In general, about two-thirds of affected, eligible passengers never file claims at all. Part of the reason Skycop is drawing attention to these high volumes of avoidable delays is to make sure customers know they’re entitled to fair treatment. This includes access to compensation.

The company is also calling on EU lawmakers to strategically apply and improve EU261.

“We urge the EU to maintain the current compensation eligibility criteria as a way to pressure airlines to ensure timely and smooth operations,” says Skycop’s attorney-at-law, Nerijus Zaleckas. “At the same time, doubling the compensation amounts — unchanged since 2004 — should also be considered to account for inflation.”

How to Claim:
- Go to Skycop.com
- Enter your flight number and date
- Get a free eligibility check in seconds
- If valid, they’ll handle the claim for you

Andy-Lee Fry
Skycop
andy-lee.fry@skycop.com