Turkey now requires airlines to compensate passengers for significant flight delays with the introduction of new regulations.
Published by the Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation in the Official Gazette, the regulations stipulate that airlines must pay monetary compensation to passengers when flights are delayed by more than three hours due to technical or operational reasons.
The structure varies based on flight distance, with domestic flights incurring compensation of €100 (R1 875) per affected passenger.
For international flights up to 1 500 km, compensation is €250 (R4 690). For flights up to 3 500 km, it’s €400 (R7 505), and for flights exceeding 3 500 km, compensation is €600 (R11 255).
According to Turkish Airlines’ Passenger Rights brochure, the airline previously offered passengers on flights delayed by more than two hours specific non-monetary compensation.
For delays up to five hours, compensation included a free route change, free phone calls, hot and cold beverages, and a meal. For flights delayed over five hours, passengers would receive a refund of their ticket fare and an additional light meal. For delays over eight hours, passengers would also receive accommodation and free transfers between the airport and hotel.
