London to Cairo Flight Delay & Cancellation Compensation

How much compensation for a London–Cairo delay?

London to Cairo International Airport (CAI) is approximately 3,500 km. For UK departures, UK261 applies with compensation of £350 per person for medium-haul (1,500–3,500 km) flights delayed 3+ hours or cancelled with less than 14 days' notice. UK's generous 6-year limitation period gives passengers significant time to claim.

Does UK261 apply to EgyptAir from London Heathrow?

Yes, on London departures only. EgyptAir is an Egyptian state carrier — not a UK or EU airline. UK261 applies to all carriers on departures from UK airports. An EgyptAir delay from London Heathrow (LHR) or Gatwick (LGW) entitles each passenger to £350 compensation. For the return Cairo → London on EgyptAir, UK261 does NOT apply. British Airways (UK carrier) covers both directions.

What is the UK deadline to claim for London–Cairo delays?

The United Kingdom applies a 6-year limitation period for UK261 claims under the Limitation Act 1980. This is the most generous deadline in Europe, giving passengers substantial time to pursue missed claims. The UK enforcement body is the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). For ADR, the CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution) Aviation Scheme handles UK261 claims, typically resolving them within 90 days.

CEDR vs. going to court in the UK for UK261 claims?

CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution) is the UK's Civil Aviation Authority-approved ADR scheme for aviation disputes. It is free for passengers, typically resolves cases within 90 days, and decisions are binding on airlines that participate. Most major airlines including British Airways and EgyptAir participate. CEDR handles UK261 claims as well as general passenger rights issues. UK small claims court is also effective for UK261 amounts (under £10,000) and filing fees are modest.

My EgyptAir flight from London was cancelled due to a pilot strike — am I entitled to UK261 compensation?

It depends on which airline's pilots were striking. If EgyptAir's own pilots struck — airlines are responsible for their own workforce, and internal strikes are generally NOT extraordinary circumstances under UK261 (following the CJEU ruling in Scandinavian Airlines, C-18/20). However, if the cancellation was due to an external ATC strike at Cairo or a security threat, that may be extraordinary circumstances. EgyptAir must provide written notice of the reason — challenge vague 'operational reasons' rejections at CEDR.