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Departure Time vs Door-Opening Arrival Time (Germanwings v Henning C-452/13)

Airlines sometimes claim a flight 'departed on time' because it pushed back from the gate before sitting on the tarmac or returning for repairs. Here is the binding legal rule.

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Key Statutory Rules & Public Aviation Law Summary

Airlines sometimes claim a flight 'departed on time' because it pushed back from the gate before sitting on the tarmac or returning for repairs. Here is the binding legal rule.

  • In Germanwings GmbH v Ronny Henning (C-452/13), the European Court of Justice ruled that 'arrival time' under EC 261/2004 is strictly the moment at least one aircraft door is opened at the final destination so passengers are permitted to leave the aircraft.
  • Pushback time from the departure gate, wheels-up time, and touchdown time on the runway do NOT stop the clock—if the cabin door at your final destination opens 3 hours and 0 minutes (180+ minutes) after scheduled arrival time, the 3-hour statutory threshold is met.
Related Statutory Passenger Guides:

Public Statutory Information Disclaimer: AeroStatute provides general public educational information regarding Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, UK261, the Montreal Convention 1999, Canada APPR, and US DOT regulations. This tool does not provide formal legal advice or act as a law firm.

Global Statutory Compensation Tiers at a Glance

International air passenger compensation is governed by strict statutory instruments rather than airline goodwill. Depending on your route and operating carrier, the following statutory regimes generally apply:

Statute / Regime Applicable Flights Indicative Statutory Tier Typical Time Limit
EU Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 Departing any EU/EEA/Swiss airport (any airline), or arriving in EU/EEA on an EU carrier €250 (≤1,500 km)
€400 (1,500–3,500 km)
€600 (>3,500 km)		 1 to 5+ years (varies by EU Member State law, e.g., 3 yrs Germany, 5 yrs France/Spain)
UK261 (Retained EU Law) Departing any UK airport (any airline), or arriving in the UK on a UK/EU carrier £220 (≤1,500 km)
£350 (1,500–3,500 km)
£520 (>3,500 km)		 Up to 6 years in England, Wales & Northern Ireland (5 years in Scotland)
Montreal Convention 1999 International flights between 135+ signatory countries (including US, UK, EU, SA, UAE, AU, CA) Up to 1,288 SDR (~€1,600 / ~$1,700 USD / ~£1,350) for baggage; up to 5,346 SDR for proven financial delay damages 7 days (damaged bag notice)
21 days (delayed bag notice)
2 years (court limitation)
Canada APPR & Brazil ANAC 400 Flights to, from, or within Canada (APPR) or Brazil (ANAC 400) $400–$1,000 CAD (Canada APPR)
Material assistance + statutory remedies (Brazil)		 1 year (Canada CTA filing)
2–5 years (Brazil)

Fast-Track Flight & Baggage Claim Verification (No-Win, No-Fee)

Already know your flight number and want to check official radar/ATC logs or submit a no-win, no-fee statutory claim immediately? Use one of the global aviation claim portals below:

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Public Statutory Guides & Jurisdiction Rules

Browse our library of statutory passenger guides covering specific routes, connecting flight rules, extraordinary circumstances case law, and country-by-country limitation periods:

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