Bad weather may be extraordinary, but not every weather reference explains every disruption. Location, time, operating limits, aircraft type and operational effects are decisive.
Legal conditions
Flymoney compares the stated cause with the airport, departure and arrival time, actual conditions and restrictions affecting the flight. Fog, thunderstorms, wind, snow or icing can prevent safe operations. It must also be examined whether other flights operated and whether staffing, rotation or inadequate de icing planning was the real cause.
Evidence for the specific flight
METAR and TAF reports, NOTAMs, airport notices, runway operations, de icing times, diversions and aircraft rotation are relevant. A weather app or general daily forecast does not create a flight specific evidence chain.
Common airline defences
The carrier need not operate outside safety limits, but must establish causation and reasonable measures. Weather many hours earlier is relevant only where its concrete consequences can be traced through to the claimed flight.
Other rights beyond fixed compensation
Weather may remove fixed compensation. Care, reimbursement and rerouting generally remain. During longer closures, hotel, transfer, meals and communications should be documented separately.
Next steps without losing evidence
Record the exact reason and compare it with the place and time of the flight. Preserve expenses and rerouting offers. Then determine whether weather was the direct cause or merely a generic explanation.
Detailed legal assessment
For Weather and flight compensation: facts instead of a generic defence, territorial scope, the responsible operating carrier, the timeline, the cause and the specific legal consequence must be established separately. An airline’s internal status code is not decisive; verifiable facts are. Bad weather must be matched to visibility, wind, thunderstorms, de-icing, runway conditions, airport decisions, aircraft type and the exact time. The review must also distinguish fixed compensation, reimbursement, rerouting, care and proven additional loss.
Decision matrix for the claim review
This matrix prevents separate legal bases from being mixed together.
| Review question | Required evidence | Legal significance |
|---|---|---|
| Was weather critical at the relevant place and time? | METAR, TAF and airport notice | Proves the objective conditions. |
| Did it affect the precise flight time? | timestamp and operational decision | Prevents an overbroad reference. |
| Did comparable flights operate? | departure and arrival data | An indicator, not conclusive proof. |
| Did earlier weather carry through the rotation? | rotation and measures | Requires a specific causal chain. |
Evidence checklist for the file
A robust file contains more than a booking confirmation. For Weather and flight compensation: facts instead of a generic defence, the following material should in particular be preserved:
- METAR and TAF reports for the relevant period
- NOTAM and airport operational information
- departures and arrivals of comparable flights
- aircraft rotation and location
- airline explanation of de-icing, slot or safety decision
Case law and practical significance
The judgment in Pešková and Peška, case C-315/15 is particularly relevant to this subject. Even for an external event, the Court requires a genuine link to the flight and an assessment of reasonable measures. A natural event may be extraordinary but does not automatically exempt the airline. The judgment does not replace an individual review, but it identifies the legally decisive facts and prevents unsupported airline assertions from being accepted at face value.
Strategic order of assessment
A reliable assessment follows a fixed order:
- Preserve weather data for the relevant airport and exact period.
- Identify specific runway, visibility, wind or de icing restrictions.
- Compare other flights and test the actual effect on the claim flight.
- Trace any alleged rotation or knock on effect chronologically.
- Document care, rerouting and necessary expenses in parallel.
Related assessment routes
This assessment often connects with other subjects:
Check the claim systematically · Legal review and editorial responsibility
Frequently asked questions
Which weather data matter for a flight claim?
Airport-specific data for the exact period, especially METAR, TAF, NOTAM and operational notices. General city forecasts are usually too broad.
Do other departing flights prove that weather was not a problem?
They are an important indicator but not conclusive. Aircraft type, route, crew limits, slots and timing may differ.
Can weather on an earlier rotation affect my claim?
Yes, if the airline proves the causal chain to your flight and explains measures taken to limit the knock-on effect.
Is de-icing always extraordinary?
Routine winter de-icing may belong to normal operations. Extreme conditions, capacity limits and airport decisions must be assessed separately.
Which rights remain in genuine severe weather?
Even if fixed compensation is excluded, care, rerouting or reimbursement may remain. Record waiting time, airline offers and necessary expenses.