Article 6 — Delay
Air passenger rights, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004
What does Regulation 261/2004 Article 6 say?
Short answer, straight from the official text
1. When an operating air carrier reasonably expects a flight to be delayed beyond its scheduled time of departure: (a) for two hours or more in the case of flights of 1500 kilometres or less;
Source: Air passenger rights, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, read 2026-10-14.
| In the act | EU 261/2004 |
| CELEX | 32004R0261 |
| Read on | 2026-10-14 |
Official text
Read from the EU Publications Office for this CELEX number. The wording stands as published; nothing here is rewritten or summarised.
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1. When an operating air carrier reasonably expects a flight to be delayed beyond its scheduled time of departure:
(a) for two hours or more in the case of flights of 1500 kilometres or less; or
(b) for three hours or more in the case of all intra-Community flights of more than 1500 kilometres and of all other flights between 1500 and 3500 kilometres; or
(c) for four hours or more in the case of all flights not falling under (a) or (b),
passengers shall be offered by the operating air carrier:
(i) the assistance specified in Article 9(1)(a) and 9(2); and
(ii) when the reasonably expected time of departure is at least the day after the time of departure previously announced, the assistance specified in Article 9(1)(b) and 9(1)(c); and
(iii) when the delay is at least five hours, the assistance specified in Article 8(1)(a).
2. In any event, the assistance shall be offered within the time limits set out above with respect to each distance bracket.
The text is quoted from the official source and is not legal advice. A national court reads the language version that binds in its jurisdiction.
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