In the case of '' Denise McDonagh v Ryanair Ltd '' ( C-12 / 11 ) , the Third Chamber of the European Court of Justice ruled that natural disasters such as the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull and the subsequent cloud of volcanic ash in 2010 , which shut down most European air traffic , do constitute " extraordinary circumstances " that release air carriers from the obligation to pay compensation , but that there is no such category as " super-extraordinary circumstances " that would release them from the obligation to provide care . According to the court 's ruling , air carriers continued to have an obligation of care towards passengers under Art. 5 and 8 of the regulation during the week-long shutdown of European airspace , and this obligation does not have a temporal or monetary limit
cloud of volcanic ash in 2010
2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull
Flight Compensation Regulation 261/2004