Good to know...!
from Jürgen Vogl
The term "cancellation" under the Passenger Rights Regulation also includes the case where an aircraft takes off but has to return to the departure airport for unforeseeable reasons and the passengers on the aircraft are subsequently rebooked on other flights. The fact that the aircraft took off but did not reach its planned destination because it had to return to the departure airport means that the originally planned flight could not be carried out. This means that passengers have the right to compensation:
In the event of cancellation, the airline must give passengers the choice between:
- the refund of the ticket price
- alternative transportation to the final destination under comparable conditions
- the return flight to the first point of departure at the earliest possible time