Flight Cancelled at the Airport: Immediate Steps

When a flight is cancelled or rescheduled after you arrive at the airport, first obtain a carrier record and clarify what happens to the rest of your itinerary. The practical result depends on the ticket, the route and whether later flights are in the same booking.

At the carrier desk: what to request

Ask for a clear record of the flight status and reason, the new time or cancellation, and the option offered for your booking. If there is an onward flight, ask whether it remains protected and whether the carrier will reissue the itinerary. Where possible, save the updated itinerary or obtain a written confirmation.

• the flight number, scheduled and actual status;
• the carrier’s stated reason and the date and time of the notice;
• the proposed continuation of carriage or the procedure for a refund;
• the status of checked baggage and of any onward segment.

Keep evidence before leaving the airport

Save screenshots from the carrier’s application, emails and airport display information. Keep the boarding pass, booking confirmation, receipts and any written notice given at the desk. If a later flight was bought under a separate booking, retain both booking references: a separate ticket may require separate communication with its carrier.

Waiting at the airport

For domestic carriage, the Federal Aviation Rules set a framework for services during a carrier-caused interruption, delay, cancellation or route change, including cases connected with weather or safety-related technical work. The applicable service and timing depend on the actual circumstances. Ask the carrier how it will arrange services in your case and keep the response.

Continue the journey or request a refund

Do not assume that a new flight, a refund or a connection on another carrier is available in every situation. State your preferred option to the carrier, check whether it covers all segments in the same booking, and ask for the proposed action to be recorded. If you decide not to travel, request the carrier’s written procedure for the relevant booking instead of relying on an oral statement.

If you assess a claim later

For domestic carriage, Article 120 of the Air Code contains rules on the carrier’s responsibility for delay to the destination, but it also lists circumstances that may affect responsibility. International carriage and separate contracts may follow different rules. The booking terms, route, reason for disruption and retained evidence matter before any individual assessment.

Official sources

• Federal Aviation Rules, passenger service during interruptions (paragraph 99)
• Air Code of the Russian Federation, Article 120
• Air Code of the Russian Federation, Article 108