EU261 Rights Independent

Current position

Your rights have not changed. The 2026 reform was adopted on 13 July. It keeps the three-hour threshold and the €250–€600 amounts, and does not apply until 2027. What was agreed →

Checked

EU261 · enforcement

Claiming against an airline in France

The compensation rules are identical across the EU — that is the point of a Regulation. What changes at the border is the deadline, the regulator and the court.

Time limit

5 years

Code civil art. 2224

Enforcement body

DGAC — Direction générale de l'Aviation civile

Official site →

Court route

Tribunal de proximité

Used only after the airline and the regulator.

Five-year general civil period applies to compensation claims.

The order to do it in

  1. Write to the airline, quoting Article 7 and the flight. Free.
  2. Wait 28 days.
  3. Complain to DGAC — Direction générale de l'Aviation civile if refused. Still free.
  4. Tribunal de proximité if that fails.
  5. A claims service only once the free routes are exhausted.
Check what you’re owed → Get the letter →

Questions

How long do I have to claim flight compensation in France?

5 years. Code civil art. 2224.

Who enforces air passenger rights in France?

DGAC — Direction générale de l'Aviation civile. Complaining to them is free and does not stop you going to court afterwards.

Which court hears flight compensation claims in France?

Tribunal de proximité.

If you would rather not do this yourself

Everything above is the free route, and it works. If you want the claim off your plate, a no-win-no-fee service will run it — including the court stage in this country if it comes to that — and take a percentage only if it pays out.

Hand it to Compensair → Get a free AirHelp eligibility check →

Compensair takes 25–35%, AirHelp 35–50% if court action is needed. Both work no-win-no-fee. Affiliate links; your fee is unchanged either way.