Turkish Airlines compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight
Turkish Airlines does not hold an EU licence. Regulation (EC) 261/2004 still applies to all of its flights departing from an EU airport, including Romania.
Which Turkish Airlines flights are covered
- Covered: Bucharest – Istanbul, Cluj-Napoca – Istanbul and any other flight departing from the EU.
- Covered: a journey on a single booking that starts in the EU, for example Bucharest – Istanbul – Bangkok, including when the problem arises after the Istanbul connection.
- Not covered: Istanbul – Romania flights. As a non-EU airline, Turkish Airlines is not covered by the regulation on arrivals into the EU.
A return ticket does not change this: the return flight is treated separately from the outbound one (Emirates ruling of the EU Court of Justice, 2008). Flights that are not covered may carry rights under Turkish law, but they are outside our service.
How much you can get on a Turkish Airlines flight
| Flight distance | Compensation per passenger |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km, or any flight within the EU over 1,500 km | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km, departing from or arriving outside the EU | €600 |
| Route (example) | Distance | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Bucharest – Istanbul | 426 km | €250 |
| Cluj-Napoca – Istanbul | 734 km | €250 |
| Bucharest – Hurghada, connecting in Istanbul | 2,053 km | €400 |
| Bucharest – Bangkok, connecting in Istanbul | 7,735 km | €600 |
The examples show the straight-line distance between airports, not the airline's current timetable. We work out the exact distance for your flight when you check it.
How Turkish Airlines handles claims
Turkish Airlines takes claims through the feedback form on turkishairlines.com, under the category for disrupted flights. For flights that departed from Romania, the complaint to the authority goes to ANPC.
Where to complain and where a case is heard
For flights departing from Romania, the body that enforces the regulation is the National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC). If it comes to court, the airline can be sued at the court for the airport of departure or arrival (Rehder ruling of the EU Court of Justice, 2009), so a flight from or to Romania can be heard in Romania even if the airline is foreign.
What documents you need
- your boarding pass or booking confirmation;
- an identity document, for the assignment agreement you sign online;
- if you have them, any messages from the airline about the delay or cancellation.
How long you have to claim
In Romania you can usually claim up to 3 years after the flight. Even if the flight was two years ago, it is worth checking.
How Jet Claim helps
Check your flight for free in two minutes and sign online. We handle the correspondence with the airline, the complaint to the authority and, if needed, court. Our fee is 25% + VAT of the amount recovered, deducted only if you get paid. Every situation is explained on the passenger rights page.
Frequently asked questions
I flew Istanbul – Bucharest with Turkish Airlines and was 5 hours late. Am I entitled?
Under the EU regulation, usually not: the flight departs from outside the EU and is operated by an airline without an EU licence. The exception is when that flight is part of a journey on the same booking that started at an EU airport.
The airline said it was a technical problem. Am I still entitled?
Usually, yes. The EU Court of Justice has ruled that technical faults found during maintenance or before departure are part of an airline's normal business and do not excuse it from paying (van der Lans ruling, 2015).
Can I claim for a flight from two years ago?
Yes. In Romania the time limit is usually 3 years from the date of the flight. All you need is the flight details and your booking.