Barely Drone Related - Compensation?
 

Yesterday I travelled MAD - LTN and was delayed 3h15 on departure time.

I understand that compensation isn't payable for Gatwick flights but for LTN? Aircraft and crew LTN based so no connection with Gatwick except for swimming in the same pond - so would the "Unforseen circumatances" clause still apply? If not just how far removed from the problem can an airlline claim exemption as a knock-on effect? If there's a terrorist event in Tel Aviv and as a result crew are out of kilter so the Glasgow is canx I can't imagine that would be a valid excuse - or would it? An unscrupulous company (I'm not suggesting this at all) could milk that one for days.

I'll have a go anyway but ATC and slot delays due to a problam at an unrelated airfield seems to be stretching it a bit far to me.

Any views on this?

Unless you can trace exactly what your aircraft was doing prior to arriving MAD, you may have some difficulty in proving that it was unrelated. What time was your actual departure from MAD?

EU compo ''kick in'' is calculated on the delay of the arrival time not on departure time - arrival delay has to be at least 3 hours or more late on arrival to apply for compo ...compo then on a rising scale dependant on route distance and time delayed

However the drone delays and/or any delays related to the knock on effects will not see any compo due to being out of LGW's control hence exceptional circumstances

You are entitled to any out of pocket expenses incurred however (keep receipts) and the airline should have after a 3 hours provided pax with sustenance and/or accommodation if delayed overnight

Although LTN and other airports in the UK suffered knock on effect delays due to the LGW debacle you will not get any EU compo address.
Even if flights were delayed due to no crews or aircraft say at LTN (an operational reason) due to them being all over the place i doubt whether you would be able to seek redress as the airline would argue the LGW circumstances was the cause.

I flew Toronto - Gatwick a few weeks ago and due to the first snow storm at YYZ our aircraft and others were delayed. Ours by 6 hours but at least we got to LGW on the correct day. On exiting the aircraft after the tannoy announcements not admitting their fault we were each given a letter as to the delay to be used in any travel insurance claims. Due to exceptional circumstances. I tried my travel insurance (Gold cover) and received £350 even though we were not out of pocked. If you don't try you dont get

Travel insurance delay cover is a separate beast from the EU delay cover though