Dan Air refused my claim: what now?
A refusal from Dan Air is not the last word. Under EU rules it may refuse only for extraordinary circumstances it could not have avoided with all reasonable measures, and it has to prove them. Weather, strike and air traffic records show whether its reason holds for your flight.
Checked 17 Oct
The reasons airlines give, and when they hold
We have no published record of which reasons Dan Air gives most often, so we don't guess. These are the reasons airlines give, and when each one holds.
Weather: it excuses the airline only when conditions made your flight impossible to operate at that time. Airports publish routine weather reports (METAR) through the day, and archives keep them, so the weather during your flight's hours can be checked.
Air traffic control: a decision by air traffic management about your aircraft on that day can count as extraordinary, if the airline took all reasonable measures (recital 15 of the regulation). EUROCONTROL publishes the delays at each European airport by day and by cause.
Strikes: a strike by the airline's own staff, such as its pilots, is never extraordinary, even when it is lawful (Court of Justice, C-28/20, 23 March 2021). A strike outside the airline, such as by air traffic controllers or airport staff, can be.
Technical problems: a fault that arises in the normal running and maintenance of the aircraft is not extraordinary (Court of Justice, C-549/07, 22 December 2008). A bird strike can be (Court of Justice, C-315/15, 4 May 2017).
Where Dan Air takes claims
Dan Air's terms, as found on 17 Oct 2026, ask you to claim directly first, choosing the compensation request on its contact page, and to allow 60 days before someone else claims for you.
Dan Air takes compensation claims through its own page. Claim there yourself, or let us handle it.
What you can do next
Ask the airline in writing what exactly happened, and when. A general answer such as "extraordinary circumstances" is not proof.
Answer the refusal with the records for your flight. Checking your flight with us is free, and before you sign a claim we read these records for it.
If the airline still refuses, or doesn't answer, complain to the national enforcement body of the country your flight left from (article 16 of the regulation). In Romania that is the National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC).
Then court. Romania has a simpler procedure for small claims (cerere cu valoare redusă). Against an airline based in another EU country, the European Small Claims Procedure covers claims up to €5,000 (Regulation 861/2007).
How long you have to claim is set by each country's own law (Court of Justice, C-139/11, 22 November 2012).
Claiming on your own, for free
You can claim for free without us: write to the airline first. If it refuses or doesn't answer, you can complain to the national enforcement body (in Romania, ANPC) or ask the European Consumer Centre in your country for help (in Romania, ECC Romania), also for free. It makes sense to come to us when the airline has refused or ignored your claim, or when you would rather not deal with it yourself.
Questions
The airline said "extraordinary circumstances". Is that the end?
No. The airline has to prove that the event happened, that it caused your delay or cancellation, and that it could not have been avoided with all reasonable measures. The records for your flight show whether that holds.
I already claimed myself and was refused. Can I still claim?
Yes. A refusal doesn't end your right. We check your flight's records for free, and if the case is strong we take it on: the letter, the follow-ups, the enforcement body and, if needed, court through our partner lawyer, for a fee of 25%, only if the airline pays.
What if the airline never answered?
Silence is not an answer you have to accept. The next steps are the same as after a refusal: the national enforcement body, then court.
What does FlyHandled cost?
Checking your flight is free. If we handle the claim, the fee is 25% of what the airline pays, VAT included, plus 15% only if it goes to court, and nothing if it pays nothing.
Sources13
- The claim page on the Dan Air sitedanair.ro
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004: EUR-Lexeur-lex.europa.eu
- Air passenger rights: Your Europeeuropa.eu
- Court of Justice of the EU, C-28/20 Airhelp v SAS, 23 March 2021 (press release 39/21)curia.europa.eu
- Court of Justice of the EU, C-549/07 Wallentin-Hermann v Alitalia, 22 December 2008curia.europa.eu
- Court of Justice of the EU, C-315/15 Pešková v Travel Service, 4 May 2017 (press release 44/17)curia.europa.eu
- Court of Justice of the EU, C-139/11 Moré v KLM, 22 November 2012curia.europa.eu
- Regulation (EC) No 861/2007, European Small Claims Procedure, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2015/2421eur-lex.europa.eu
- EUROCONTROL, Aviation Intelligence Portal: airport arrival delays by causeansperformance.eu
- NOAA Aviation Weather Center: METAR reportsaviationweather.gov
- Iowa Environmental Mesonet: archive of airport weather reports (METAR)mesonet.agron.iastate.edu
- European Commission, National Enforcement Bodies, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (updated 27 August 2026)transport.ec.europa.eu
- European Commission, European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net)commission.europa.eu