Can the "COVID-19 card" be pulled for a last-minute service reduction (EC261)?

Question

Was due to fly PRN-DUS-MAN on 3 July, but the PRN-DUS flight was cancelled 3 days before, while it still ran on 1 and 4 July. In other words, the service was only reduced.

As I was re-routed and reached MAN 8 h 15 min past the original schedule, I've requested EC261 compensation.

I know airlines will just hold their ears and go "CORONA, CORONA, CORONA!!!", and even users on Flyertalk have done this, but I know it's not that simple. The specific cancellation must be beyond the control of the airline, and from what I can gather, a reduction of an up-and-running service, no matter how reasonable due to insufficient demand, is hardly beyond the carrier's control.

So on what grounds could the airline claim this specific cancellation to be beyond their control?

UPDATE: turned out there were no valid grounds for refusing compensation, and with the intervention of the Kosovan civil aviation department, I've now received due compensation (EUR 412 in total)

Answer 1

So as I suspected, the reduced service on the PRN-DUS route was by no means caused by extraordinary circumstances, but was a profitability-based business decision due to the pandemic (not confirmed, but obvious to me)

I got the standard compensation (EUR 400) with the help of the Kosovan civil aviation department, and then reimbursement of a "lost" rail ticket (GBP 10.55) directly via Eurowings. The Kosovan body, while slow, seems to know their stuff, so kudos to them for that!

So for future reference, the common belief that any and all cancellations remotely having anything to do with the pandemic is ineligible for compensation is false!

On 5 July I emailed Eurowings ([email protected]) requesting compensation.

On 20 July I got the much-expected refusal claiming extraordinary circumstances without specification or evidence.

On 22 July I e-mailed the Kosovan civil aviation department ([email protected]) attaching 1) Eurowings's refusal plus a translation to English; 2) the original and modified itineraries; 3) the "lost" rail ticket confirmation (GBP 10.55)

On 28 July the Kosovan civil aviation department e-mailed Eurowings (with a copy to myself) asking for a statement regarding the cancellation.

On 27 September I asked how things are coming along.

On 28 September the Kosovan civil aviation department asked me to attach the itineraries again "so that [they] can proceed on this case based on EC regulation 261/2004", since the 6-week deadline had passed for Eurowings to respond.

On 29 September I emailed the itineraries again as asked.

On 21 October I asked how things are going.

On 24 October the Kosovan civil aviation department told me Eurowings had backed down and would grant compensation but needed my bank details and the rail ticket confirmation.

On 25 October I provided these details.

On 7 November the Kosovan civil aviation department forwarded an email from Eurowings saying they would pay out EUR 400. When I asked why they wouldn't reimburse the rail ticket, they referred me to Eurowings, closing the case on their end.

On 26 November I received EUR 400 on my account. The same day I emailed Eurowings asking why they wouldn't reimburse my rail ticket and explaining why they should (had it been in the opposite direction, they would've been legally obliged to, and the price is the same)

On 2 December Eurowings told me they'd reimburse the rail ticket (in EUR)

On 22 December I received EUR 11.60 on my account.