Flight compensation refused in Iceland: Samgöngustofa
Updated
General information, not legal advice. The outcome depends on the facts of your case.
Your flight from Keflavík or another Icelandic airport was delayed or cancelled, and the airline turned down your claim. Iceland is outside the EU but inside the EEA, and EU261 applies there. The body that decides is Samgöngustofa, the Icelandic Transport Authority.
Which flights Samgöngustofa covers
- Flights departing Iceland, whatever the airline.
- Flights into Iceland from outside the EEA, when a European airline operated them.
Other flights go to the authority in the country of departure (island.is). A delayed flight from Copenhagen to Keflavík goes to Denmark. See the Nordic complaint boards.
Icelandair and PLAY
Icelandair is the home airline. Samgöngustofa has ordered it to pay in several published decisions. See Icelandair rejected your compensation for its usual reasons and the answers to them.
PLAY stopped flying on 29 September 2025 and went bankrupt. Claims against PLAY go to the bankruptcy administrator, not to Samgöngustofa or the airline.
Before you file
Claim from the airline in writing first. You can file with Samgöngustofa 8 weeks after your claim, or earlier if the airline has already refused it. A written refusal means you can file now.
How to file
- Where: the online form on island.is, page "Kvarta til Samgöngustofu vegna flugferðar", button "Senda kvörtun". The page is in Icelandic. The form may ask you to log in to island.is; if you cannot, contact Samgöngustofa before you give up.
- Language: you can write in English. Decisions are always written in Icelandic.
- Fee: ISK 5,000, paid by card when you file. It is refunded if your claim is upheld in full or in part.
- Attach: booking details and dates, flight number and airports, how long the delay was, tickets, boarding passes, booking confirmations, and your correspondence with the airline.
What Samgöngustofa can and cannot do
Can: issue a ruling (úrskurður) on your case. The EU list of dispute bodies records it as binding (European Commission). Under the Aviation Act no. 80/2022, a ruling cannot be appealed to another authority, and taking it to court does not suspend enforcement.
Cannot: handle consequential losses, such as lost wages or hotels, car hire and tours you could not use. Lost or damaged baggage goes to a different committee.
How long you have
Samgöngustofa takes complaints up to 4 years from the flight date. If the airline still does not pay after a ruling, the next step is the district court (héraðsdómur). The European Small Claims Procedure does not apply, because Iceland is not in the EU.
If the airline still says no
Appeal My Flight writes your reply to the airline and the complaint to Samgöngustofa, in English, for €29 per booking, however many passengers. You send it yourself and keep the whole payout. Claim companies typically take 25 to 35 % instead. We cannot promise an outcome. Not sure your case is strong? Try the rejection checker.
FAQ
Do I need to write in Icelandic?
No. English is accepted. The decision will be in Icelandic.
Is the fee lost if I lose?
Yes. It is refunded only if your claim is upheld in full or in part.
Iceland is not in the EU. Does EU261 apply?
Yes. Iceland is in the EEA and applies the regulation through its own law.
Got the airline's reply? Paste it into the rejection checker and see what EU court rulings say about their excuse.