Flight compensation refused in Ireland: complain to the IAA

Updated 15 October 2026
General information, not legal advice. The outcome depends on the facts of your case.

Your flight from Dublin, Cork, Shannon or another Irish airport was delayed or cancelled, and the airline said no to your compensation claim. A refusal is the airline's opinion, not a ruling. In Ireland, the next step is the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).

Which flights the IAA covers

The IAA is Ireland's enforcement body for EU261 (IAA). It takes:

• Flights departing Ireland, whatever the airline.
• Flights into Ireland from outside the EU, when an EU airline operated them. The IAA's own example: an Aer Lingus flight New York to Dublin is covered, an American Airlines flight is not.

A flight from another EU country into Ireland goes to the body in the country of departure. Flew home from Oslo, Stockholm or Copenhagen? See the Nordic complaint boards.

Ryanair and Aer Lingus are Irish

Both airlines are based in Ireland, and together they account for many Irish complaints. In 2025, Aer Lingus had 31% and Ryanair 28% of the complaints the IAA upheld. That year the IAA upheld 1,213 complaints and did not uphold 1,221, mostly over extraordinary circumstances (Irish Examiner). So about half of the cases that reach the IAA succeed.

Claim from the airline first

The IAA asks you to raise the matter with the airline first. For Ryanair, use Ryanair's own claim form in your myRyanair account. Since 2016, Ryanair has asked passengers to claim directly and allow 28 days before using a third party. Sending the claim yourself fits that rule. For other airlines, use the airline's claim form or write to it, and keep a dated copy.

If the airline refused, you can go to the IAA. More on Ryanair's usual reasons: Ryanair rejected your compensation.

How to complain to the IAA

1. Register in the IAA's online customer portal, MySRS, at iaa.mysrs.ie.
2. Fill in the online complaint form there.
3. Attach your booking confirmation, anything that shows the delay or cancellation (boarding pass, messages from the airline), your claim to the airline and its answer, and receipts for any costs.

• Language: English.
• Cost: the IAA lists no fee.
• Time: the IAA does not publish a processing time.
• Help: +353 1 6031100.

What the IAA can and cannot do

Can: decide whether your complaint is upheld, and issue a Direction telling the airline to pay. Ignoring a Direction is an offence. In January 2026 the IAA prosecuted an airline, FlyOne, for not complying with Directions on nine passenger claims. The court fined the airline €4,500 (IAA).

Cannot: act as your lawyer or collect the money for you. A prosecution ends in a fine for the airline, not a payment to you. The IAA's page does not say its decisions are binding in the way a court judgment is. If the airline still does not pay, the next step is court.

Small claims in Ireland

The District Court's small claims procedure (courts.ie):

• Claims up to €2,000. The fee is €25, and you cannot claim it back.
• Apply online at csol.ie or through a court office.
• First tell the airline in writing that you plan to make a small claims application.
• Limits: both you and the airline must be based in the Republic of Ireland. The procedure is for the value of a product, service, damage or deposit. Whether fixed EU261 compensation fits is not confirmed. Check with the small claims registrar before you rely on it.

Live in another EU country? Against an Irish airline you can use the European Small Claims Procedure (up to €5,000), forms at e-justice.europa.eu.

How long you have

Irish law allows 6 years for claims founded on a contract (Statute of Limitations 1957, section 11). Count it from the flight. Do not wait: evidence gets harder to find, and the IAA asks for the airline's answer.

If the airline still says no

Appeal My Flight writes your reply to the airline and the complaint to the IAA, built around the airline's stated reason, 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

My flight was from Dublin to Helsinki. Which body?

The IAA, because the flight departed Ireland.

My Ryanair flight was from Copenhagen to Dublin. The IAA?

No. It departed Denmark, so it goes to Trafikstyrelsen. See the Nordic complaint boards.

Does the IAA charge a fee?

Its page lists none.

Got the airline's reply? Paste it into the rejection checker and see what EU court rulings say about their excuse.