EU261 · enforcement
Claiming against an airline in Italy
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
2 years (some sources cite 26 months)
Sources diverge: several specialist services report 2 years, one reports 26 months. Verify against Italian counsel for a borderline claim.
Court route
Giudice di pace
Used only after the airline and the regulator.
Shorter than most travellers assume, and the exact figure is disputed — treat a claim as urgent if it is approaching two years old.
The order to do it in
- Write to the airline, quoting Article 7 and the flight. Free.
- Wait 28 days.
- Complain to ENAC — Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile if refused. Still free.
- Giudice di pace if that fails.
- A claims service only once the free routes are exhausted.
Questions
How long do I have to claim flight compensation in Italy?
2 years (some sources cite 26 months). Sources diverge: several specialist services report 2 years, one reports 26 months. Verify against Italian counsel for a borderline claim..
Who enforces air passenger rights in Italy?
ENAC — Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile. Complaining to them is free and does not stop you going to court afterwards.
Which court hears flight compensation claims in Italy?
Giudice di pace.
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.
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.