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London Gatwick – Tenerife South flight delayed or cancelled?
The London Gatwick (LGW) – Tenerife South (TFS) route is about 2,912 km, so a delay of 3+ hours, a short-notice cancellation or denied boarding usually means £350 or €400 per passenger.
Which rules apply
| Direction | Rules and amount |
|---|---|
| London Gatwick → Tenerife South | UK261 — £350, whatever the airline (plus EU261 if it is an EU airline such as Ryanair) |
| Tenerife South → London Gatwick | EU261 — €400, whatever the airline (the Canaries are in the EU) |
Distance band: 1,500–3,500 km. If you were re-routed and arrived within 3 hours of the original time, the amount may be reduced by 50%.
Flights on this route are mostly operated by low-cost and holiday airlines and schedules are often seasonal — check current timetables with the airlines. The rules above apply to scheduled and charter (package holiday) flights alike.
Typical causes airlines must pay for
Technical faults, crew shortages and knock-on delays from earlier flights generally do not exempt the airline. Severe weather and air traffic control restrictions usually do — see extraordinary circumstances.
Claiming yourself (free)
Write to the airline with your booking reference, flight number, date and what happened, and ask for the fixed compensation under UK261 or EU261. If they refuse or don't reply within 8 weeks, escalate: UK airlines usually belong to an ADR scheme (e.g. AviationADR or CEDR); otherwise the UK CAA can help. For flights departing Spain (including the Canaries) you can complain to AESA, and in Ireland to the Aviation Regulator.
Using a claims company
If you don't want the hassle, a company like AirHelp handles it on a no-win, no-fee basis. You get less money (they keep a fee), but they deal with the airline and, if needed, the courts.
Use the calculator · All routes · How far back can you claim?
Last reviewed 20 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.