With 1.3 million passengers delayed in just 12 months, what are you really entitled to if your flight is delayed?

Consumer group Which? analysed data gathered by the Civil Aviation Authority and found that approximately 1.3 million passengers suffered flight delays of at least 3 hours in 2018 amounting to around 3500 passengers every day.

Those airlines with the greatest frequency of delays include Easyjet (2,618 flights), Ryanair (1,868 flights) and British Airways (1,668 flights).

Statistics show that the highest percentage of long-haul flight delays were Norwegian Air, Thomas Cook and TUI alongside Icelandair, Aurigny and TUI who had the largest proportion of short-haul flight delays.

EU regulations (261/2004) are clear, if passengers are delayed by any longer than 3 hours they may be entitled to compensation - this can range from €250 and €600 depending on the length of the flight and the length of delay.

If a passenger is delayed for longer than 2 hours, the airline is required to provide refreshment vouchers and free communication via email and phone. If the delay is overnight the airline is required to provide you with hotel accommodation and transport to and from the hotel.

Passengers are protected for any flight from or within the EU and flights from a non-EU country into the EU, provided the airline is licensed in the EU.

However, if any delay or cancellation is caused by 'extraordinary circumstances' such as extreme weather conditions, political instability or security problems airlines may be exempt from these regulations.

Passengers can claim for a delayed or cancelled flight by informing the airline of the flight number, names of passengers and suspected reason for the delay. Most airlines have a standard form which passengers can complete to claim compensation. Passengers who have not availed of refreshment vouchers should keep all receipts for any refreshments they have purchased and send them to the airline along with their request for a refund.