Hi FTers

I am currently in SPU flying to ZRH on LX8449 in a Z class Business ticket purchased from Swiss.com and need your help. Current events in Split airport today:

- Original departure time 21.25

- No communication of delay until 21.45. Told to wait for further communication 22.30. Told to wait again until 23.00

- No one from Edelweiss or Swiss around to answer any questions, Split airport staff clueless

- After almost two hours 23.30, pilots finally come out and explain the issue that the plane got struck by lightening on the way into Split

- Pilots finally communicated plan: fly from Split to Milan then fly to Zurich when airport re-opens at 06.00 (!)

- They said this is a better way forward instead of a night in a hotel as 1) flights are booked out of SPU 2) hotels are not close to the airport

Questions:

- does EU261 apply here departing from EU?

- if so, what am I entitled to? I’m not sure how long this delay would be but earliest I foresee coming into Zurich is 06.00 tomorrow

- I am flying Z business class - are compensation options different here?

- anything I can do to take this up with Edelweiss / Swiss directly?

I’m very disappointed in Split airport and/ or Swiss/Edelweiss handling of this delay. There was ZERO communication on rationale until after two hours, only after ZRH airport was closed for curfew. In fact Zurich airport’s website already showed the flight being cancelled but on the monitors here in Split there was nothing posted!

Thoughts on way forward?