The answer almost always comes down to one question: whose staff was striking?
Whether a strike-related disruption qualifies for EU261/UK261 compensation generally depends on who was on strike. If it was the airline's own employees — pilots, cabin crew, ground staff — that's usually treated as within the airline's control, and compensation is typically still owed. If it was a third party unconnected to the airline — air traffic controllers, airport security, a general transport strike — that's usually treated as an extraordinary circumstance beyond the airline's control, meaning compensation is typically not owed (though you're still entitled to care and rerouting either way).
Strikes are one of the more misunderstood areas of flight compensation, partly because "it was a strike" sounds like exactly the kind of extraordinary, unavoidable event the rules are meant to excuse. But the legal test isn't about how disruptive the event was — it's about whether it was genuinely outside the airline's control. A strike organized by the airline's own workforce, even over legitimate grievances, is generally treated as connected to the ordinary running of that airline's business, which is why staffing-related disruptions (strikes included) usually don't qualify as extraordinary.
A notable case involved a sudden, largely unofficial "wildcat" strike by an airline's own staff, triggered by anger over a restructuring announcement. The airline argued this was extraordinary because it hadn't been formally called by a union and came without warning. The Court of Justice of the EU disagreed, holding that a strike among an airline's own employees — even a spontaneous one — arises from the normal social and labor risks of running an airline, and so doesn't count as an extraordinary circumstance. The airline was expected to have taken that kind of risk into account.
In these cases, the airline still has to show it took all reasonable measures available to it — for example, trying to reroute you via unaffected airports or airlines — before the exemption fully applies.
Even when a strike genuinely does count as extraordinary circumstances and no compensation is due, the airline still has to look after you: meals and refreshments proportionate to your wait, hotel accommodation and transport if you're stuck overnight, and a choice between rerouting to your destination or a refund. Those obligations aren't affected by whether compensation is owed.
Generally, strikes by an airline's own employees — including its pilots and cabin crew — are not treated as extraordinary circumstances, so compensation is usually still owed even though the situation is a genuine labor dispute.
A strike by air traffic controllers or airport staff not employed by your airline is generally treated as a third-party event outside the airline's control, so it typically does qualify as extraordinary circumstances and compensation usually isn't owed.
Yes. Even where a strike qualifies as extraordinary circumstances and no compensation is due, you're still entitled to care (meals, accommodation if needed) and a choice of rerouting or a refund.
A general strike affecting transport, airport ground services, or air traffic control but not organized by your airline's own staff is generally treated the same way as other third-party strikes — as an extraordinary circumstance.
Tell us whose staff was involved and we'll help you work out if you're owed compensation.