EU261 · enforcement
Claiming against an airline in Netherlands
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
Dutch civil code, as applied to EU261 claims
Court route
Kantonrechter
Used only after the airline and the regulator.
Dutch courts have produced several claimant-favourable rulings on connecting flights. Note the short two-year window.
The order to do it in
- Write to the airline, quoting Article 7 and the flight. Free.
- Wait 28 days.
- Complain to Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) if refused. Still free.
- Kantonrechter if that fails.
- A claims service only once the free routes are exhausted.
Questions
How long do I have to claim flight compensation in Netherlands?
2 years. Dutch civil code, as applied to EU261 claims.
Who enforces air passenger rights in Netherlands?
Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT). Complaining to them is free and does not stop you going to court afterwards.
Which court hears flight compensation claims in Netherlands?
Kantonrechter.
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.