Air France
EU CarrierAF / AFR · FR
About Air France
Air France is the flag carrier of France and one of the founding members of the SkyTeam alliance. Operating from its primary hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), with a secondary base at Paris Orly (ORY), Air France serves more than 200 destinations across six continents. The airline carries approximately 80 million passengers per year as part of the Air France-KLM group, making it one of the largest airline groups in the world by revenue.
EC261 Legal Status - Air France
Air France is an EU-registered carrier based in France. EC Regulation 261/2004 applies to all Air France-operated flights departing from any airport worldwide, and to all flights arriving into the EU from non-EU countries when operated by Air France. Claims can be submitted up to 5 years after the disrupted flight under French law. The responsible National Enforcement Body is the DGAC (Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile).
€250 - €600
Compensation under EC261 is determined solely by the great-circle distance of your flight. Air France operates across all three distance bands.
- CDG → AMS Amsterdam (398 km): €250
- CDG → FCO Rome Fiumicino (1,089 km): €250
- CDG → ATH Athens (2,097 km): €400
- CDG → JFK New York (5,834 km): €600
The fleet comprises a mix of narrow-body Airbus A318, A319, A320, and A321 aircraft for short and medium-haul operations, alongside wide-body Airbus A330, A350, Boeing 777, and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on intercontinental routes. Air France has a mixed punctuality record: CDG's position as one of Europe's busiest airports, combined with frequent ATC congestion over French airspace, means delays are a regular occurrence - particularly during summer peak season and periods of industrial action.
Air France has historically been subject to periodic strikes by cabin crew and ground staff unions, which can cause widespread cancellations. French labour law protections make industrial action relatively common compared to other European carriers, and passengers should be aware that internal airline strikes are generally not considered extraordinary circumstances under EC261.
Not every disruption qualifies for compensation. Understanding the most common causes can help you assess whether your delay was within the airline's control.
Common Causes
Why Air France Flights Get Disrupted
- Strikes by cabin crew, pilots, and ground handling staff - industrial action is a recurring issue at Air France due to strong union representation
- ATC congestion over French airspace - France handles more overflights than any other European country, and controller strikes cause widespread disruption
- Technical faults requiring unscheduled maintenance, particularly on ageing narrow-body aircraft
- Congestion at CDG - runway capacity constraints and ground handling bottlenecks during peak hours
- Adverse winter weather at Paris CDG - fog, ice, and snow regularly affect operations from November through March
How to Claim Directly from Air France
Air France provides an online claims portal for EC261 compensation requests. Before submitting, gather your booking reference (PNR), boarding pass or e-ticket confirmation, and any written communication from Air France about the disruption (emails, SMS alerts, or gate announcements). If you have evidence of the delay duration - such as screenshots of arrival time from flight tracking apps - include this as well.
DIY Process
How to Claim Directly from Air France
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1
Gather your booking reference, boarding pass, and any delay evidence (flight tracker screenshots, airline notifications)
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Submit your claim via the Air France online claims portal at wwws.airfrance.fr/en/claim
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Wait up to 14 days for Air France to respond with a decision
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If rejected, review the stated reason - internal strikes and technical faults are generally not valid extraordinary circumstances
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Escalate to the DGAC (France) if Air France refuses to pay or does not respond
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Consider alternative dispute resolution or small claims court if the DGAC process is unsatisfactory
Submit your claim through the Air France online claims form. The portal will ask for your flight details, passenger information, and a description of the disruption. Air France typically responds within 14 days, which is faster than most major carriers. However, the airline has been known to reject claims by citing extraordinary circumstances - particularly for delays caused by ATC restrictions or weather. If the actual cause was a technical fault or crew shortage, these defences generally do not hold up under EC261 case law.
Air France flight disrupted?
Check your eligibility and claim up to €600 in compensation.
Passenger
J. SMITH
Flight
BA 2761
LHR
London
BCN
Barcelona
STATUS
3H DELAYPassenger
M. JOHNSON
Flight
KL 1009
AMS
Amsterdam
FCO
Rome
STATUS
CANCELLEDIf Air France rejects your claim or fails to respond within a reasonable timeframe, you can escalate to the DGAC (Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile), France's National Enforcement Body for air passenger rights. You may also pursue the claim through alternative dispute resolution or, as a last resort, through the French courts. Under French law, you have up to 5 years to bring a claim, giving you ample time to escalate if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to the most common questions about claiming EC261 compensation.
What if Air France says my delay was caused by an ATC strike?
External ATC strikes - those by air traffic controllers employed by national aviation authorities - can qualify as extraordinary circumstances under EC261. However, Air France sometimes cites ATC as a blanket reason when the actual root cause was a technical fault or crew issue that preceded the ATC slot restriction. Request the specific operational log for your flight to verify whether ATC was genuinely the primary cause. If the delay originated from a prior rotation issue, the ATC defence may not apply.
Does EC261 apply if Air France rebooked me on a different airline?
Yes. Your EC261 claim is against Air France as the original operating carrier, regardless of how you were ultimately rerouted. If Air France cancelled your flight and rebooked you on another carrier, your compensation entitlement is based on the delay at your final destination compared to your original scheduled arrival time. If you arrived more than 3 hours late, you are entitled to compensation from Air France.
Can I claim for an Air France flight operated by HOP! or Transavia?
HOP! flights operated under the Air France brand (with an AF flight number and Air France as the operating carrier on your boarding pass) fall under Air France's EC261 obligations. However, if the operating carrier listed is Transavia or another separate entity, your claim must be directed to that carrier. Always check the operating carrier on your boarding pass - this is the entity legally responsible under EC261.
Contact for Claims
Online Claim Form
wwws.airfrance.frDGAC - Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile
Direction générale de l'aviation civile (DGAC) - Bureau des passagers aériens
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Check Your Compensation
Enter your flight details to see if you qualify for up to €600 per person.