Routes / CDG–CUN
8,218 km great circle · Over 3,500 km
Paris CDG to Cancún CUN delay compensation
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Cancún International Airport is 8,218 km by great circle, France to Mexico. Under EU261 that is €600 per passenger, and under UK261 £520, when the rule applies and you arrive 3+ hours late.
- 1Paris CDG
- 2Cancún CUN
- 3Great circle 8,218 km
- 4EU261 band €600
Which rules cover CDG–CUN
Paris → Cancún
Whatever the airline, this direction is covered by EU261 (the flight departs from the EU (Article 3(1)(a)), whatever the airline).
Cancún → Paris
No rule covers this direction for every airline. On an EU airline it is also under EU261. On a UK airline it is also under UK261.
Because both EU and UK rules can reach this route, a passenger may find two rules covering the same trip. Each excludes people already compensated under the other's law for the same event, so the claim is made once, under whichever the airline accepts — in money terms €600 or £520.
What you could be owed by hours late
Arrival delay at CUN (or CDG on the return), for a delay caused by the airline, per passenger, where each rule applies:
| Hours late | EU261 | UK261 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | €0 | £0 |
| 3 h 30 min | €300 | £260 |
| 4 h 30 min | €600 | £520 |
| 6 h 30 min | €600 | £520 |
| 9 h 30 min | €600 | £520 |
At 8,218 km this is a long-haul flight, so the first hour of compensation is reduced: arriving 3 to 4 hours late pays €300 or £260, and the full €600/£520 starts at 4 hours.
The distance and the band
EU261 and UK261 measure distance "by the great circle route method" between the departure airport and the final destination. From the published coordinates of Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (49.00972, 2.54778) and Cancún International Airport (21.040817, -86.87347) that is 8,218 km. The nearest band boundary is 3,500 km, 4,718 km below this route, so the band is not in doubt. Among the 18 routes on this site in the over 3,500 km band, it is number 3 by length.
Other routes from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (LFPG) on this site: London (347 km), Nice (694 km), Athens (2,109 km), New York (5,834 km), Montréal (5,524 km).
Other routes from Cancún International Airport (MMUN) on this site: Toronto (2,605 km), New York (2,506 km), Los Angeles (3,407 km).
If CDG–CUN is only one leg of your booking, measure to the final destination instead: a connection that makes you late at the end is compensated over the whole journey's distance.
If the flight is cancelled
Cancelled with less than 14 days' notice and re-routed to arrive 6 hours late, an EU261 passenger is owed €600 here. If the replacement left within the allowed early margin and landed within the re-routing window, nothing is owed; if it landed within 4 hours but outside those windows, the airline may pay half — €300. On a cancellation you may instead take a refund within 7 days.
Help at the airport while you wait
On a flight of this length, meals and refreshments are owed once the departure is 4 hours late under EU261 and UK261, and a hotel with transport if you have to stay overnight — whatever caused the delay. Keep receipts for anything you buy: it is claimed back separately from any compensation.
Claiming on this route
Claim from the operating airline directly — it costs nothing.
EU261: If the airline does not reply within two months, or the reply is unsatisfactory, complain to the national enforcement body of the country where the incident happened.
UK261: If the airline's final answer is unsatisfactory, or it has not answered within eight weeks, go to the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body the airline belongs to, or to the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team if it belongs to none.
Claim pages of airlines based in France or Mexico (whether they fly this exact route varies by season):
Airport coordinates: Wikipedia: Charles de Gaulle Airport (infobox coordinates); OurAirports country file (MX). Rules: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (EUR-Lex); UK Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 7 (legislation.gov.uk). Checked 2026-10-20. General information, not legal advice.