Flight compensation in Saudi Arabia

Under Saudi Arabia’s air passenger laws, passengers may be eligible for compensation on domestic and international flights that are canceled, delayed over 3 hours, or overbooked if it results in you being denied boarding. The law protects you if:

• Your flight takes off from Saudi Arabia, no matter which airline you fly with.

• Your flight to Saudi Arabia is with a national airline.

Your eligibility is not affected by your age, nationality, or whether your ticket was discounted or part of a travel package.

This process may seem daunting, but AirHelp can make it simple and stress-free by handling everything for you.

We’ll tell you if you’re entitled to compensation within minutes, for free. And claiming with us is entirely risk-free, as we’ll only ever charge a fee when we win your claim.

The amount of compensation you could receive depends on what happened to your flight. You can check the rules for common disruptions below.

It's also good to know that if you are owed compensation, the airline is required to pay you within 15 days.

Compensation for delayed flights

Your delay calculated based on how late you arrived at your destination, compared to your scheduled arrival time. If you never flew, you get the amounts shown in the canceled flight table.

Compensation for canceled flights

You get this compensation if you were unable to fly because your flight was canceled. It’s money you get on top of a full refund for the flight!

But if the airline provided you with an alternative flight, and you still got to your destination despite the cancellation, you get the amount of compensation shown in the delayed flights table instead.

Compensation for other disruptions

When are you not eligible for compensation?

The criteria above don't apply if the cancellation or delay is due to:

• Security and safety reasons based on approved GACA reports

• Force Majeure

It is up to the GACA to declare what constitutes a Force Majeure but it is typically an unusual, unforeseeable, and unavoidable circumstance.

Even in cases where the airline doesn't have to pay compensation, it should still continuously update passengers on the latest information and any relevant changes as well as provide appropriate care and support.

So, when are you eligible for compensation?

• Technical failure of aircraft

• Operational conditions

• Scheduling issues caused by air carriers or their employees

These are just some of the causes of disruption that are not considered a Force Majeure, where passengers affected may be eligible for compensation.

If your flight is delayed a certain amount of time, the airline has an obligation to provide you with essential care and services. If care is not provided, you're eligible for compensation.

In the case of a flight cancelation, when the passenger is already at the airport, the air carrier is also obligated to find them an alternative flight.

Who should not be denied boarding?

In events such as overbooking, certain passengers should not be denied boarding, and these include:

• Passengers with special needs

• Passengers with disabilities

• First-degree relatives or accompanying domestic workers

• Unaccompanied minors

• Travel groups

In addition to this, a passenger should not be denied boarding if there is an available seat in a higher class on the same flight. In this case, the airline is obligated to upgrade the passenger for free.

Rights of passengers with special needs

In the event of denied boarding of a passenger with special needs, the airline must secure a direct or indirect flight to the destination, while keeping in line with the originally scheduled arrival time.

If the passenger is denied boarding and the appropriate arrangements are not made by the airline, the customer can claim compensation worth 200% of the value of their ticket at the time of purchase.

If your baggage gets lost, damaged, or delayed, passengers are entitled to compensation:

• If your luggage arrives the following day: ~€180

• Every extra day: ~€70 (up to a maximum of ~€1,400)

• Loss or damage of baggage: ~€1,400

If your baggage does not arrive within 21 days, it is considered lost. A baggage claim can be filed for flights arriving to Saudi Arabia on a foreign air carrier. If a passenger discloses to the airline valuable items before checking the baggage using the proper forms, then compensation will be calculated according to the value disclosed in the form.

In the case of tarmac delays, passengers must have free access to toilets, adequate ventilation and air conditioning, food and drink, and communication throughout.

Passengers are allowed to disembark after 3 hours unless there’s a reason not to. If passengers no longer wish to fly, they may also consider the flight canceled, and claim the appropriate compensation.

In Saudi Arabia, passengers are protected by the Customer Protection Department (CPD) of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). The CPD is in charge of receiving, reviewing, and analyzing complaints against air carriers, as long as the matter falls within the scope of passenger rights described in the GACA policy.

This means that there are laws in place for your security when faced with air travel disruptions or mishaps.

The GACA regulations uphold these passenger rights. This means that if the airline does not comply with the flight contract between the airline and the passenger then the passenger has the right to file a lawsuit with the appropriate court. The court will then assess the extent of the damage and decide on an amount of compensation.