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UK travellers brace themselves for a second day of misery as the air traffic control issue is set to cause more flight cancellations.
Tuesday marked a difficult day for the aviation industry and passengers as a technical issue grounded hundreds of planes across major airports.
Passengers trying to reach holidays and weddings waited hours on stranded aircraft, only to be told to come back in the morning. Some spent their nights on the cold airport floors and seats.
The havoc stemmed from a technical system glitch affecting Nats, which provides air traffic control services to 15 UK airports.
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So far today, 177 flights have been cancelled, mostly at Heathrow Airport, according to tracking website Flightradar24.
At Gatwick, most morning flights are listed to depart, but several with delays. An easyJet flight to Nice at 8.30am was listed as cancelled, according to Flightradar24.
Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton said flights are operating today but some disruption might continue, and people should check with their airline.
Tens of thousands of passengers were affected yesterday, with Ryanair alone reporting that more than 65,000 of its passengers were caught up.
Those lucky enough not to be stranded on an aircraft reported issues and delays with receiving their luggage.
Airlines will continue to grapple with the effects today after aircraft and crew have been left out of place, with passengers urged to check with their airline on the status of their flight.
The chief of Nats, Martin Rolfe, was summoned to meet with the Transport Secretary today.
Speaking to Sky News, he said he accepts ‘full responsibility,’ but refused to answer whether he was considering his position after the glitch.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will face the Commons after speaking with Rolfe for the second reading of the Civil Aviation Bill.
Ryanair’s chief operating officer, Neal McMahon, called on Rolfe to resign, calling him an ‘overpaid failure’ CEO.
McMahon said: ‘How many more failures do passengers have to suffer before overpaid failure Nats CEO Martin Rolfe accepts responsibility for his repeated mismanagement and resigns?
‘Over three years after Nats’ catastrophic 2023 system meltdown, it’s clear that nothing has changed, with UK passengers once again suffering avoidable ATC (air traffic control) delays of up to eight hours today due a critical Nats ATC system failing.’
British former racing driver Martin Brundle said he was stranded on a planeto ‘nowhere’ at Heathrow for ‘nine hours and counting.’
He said on social media: ‘At a remote parking bay, no food throughout, and mother/baby and a person with a medical condition desperate to get off. As is everyone else. Toilets no longer available as blocked. No sign of steps or buses. And that’s before the wait for luggage.’
Josie Donogue had to disembark her flight to Ireland after spending three hours on the runway.
She said: ‘Getting through that airport was like trying to get out of Alcatraz. We were trapped in there. We were told we couldn’t get out until the flights were cancelled, and then eventually they allowed us to get out.
‘It’s just an absolute nightmare down there, it’s the only word I can use to describe it.’
Nats said in its latest update on Tuesday evening: ‘Work is continuing to assist airlines and airports recover from today’s disruption.
‘This has been a very complex recovery and has created difficulties for the whole aviation network, from which it will take time to recover.
‘We apologise again for the disruption caused. Passengers should check with their airline on the status of their flight tonight or tomorrow.’
Aviation analytics firm Cirium said more than 1,750 arriving and departing UK flights out of 5,800 were cancelled yesterday.
What are your rights if the flight is delayed or cancelled?
In the UK and EU, airlines must look after you if your flight is delayed or cancelled. This includes everything from meals and accommodation to an alternative flight if necessary.
Citizen’s Advice says that airlines should also give impacted passengers access to phone calls and emails, and, if they offer you a place to stay, organise the journeys between the hotel and the airport.
Sometimes, the airline will cover this by handing you vouchers at the airport. When in doubt, keep any receipts for expenses and claim them back afterwards from the airline.
But an airline will only cough up money for ‘reasonable’ expenses.
If you didn’t book with a UK or EU airline, you’ll need to check their terms and conditions. However, for the most part, airlines should provide meals and accommodation as appropriate.
When am I eligible for this support?
Whether you’re eligible for the above depends on the distance of your flight and how long you have waited:
- For medium-haul (between 1,500km and 3,500km over two to four hours), it’s three hours or more.
- For long-haul (more than 3,500km over four hours or more), it’s four hours or more.
- For short-haul (up to 1,500km over two hours or less), you must have been waiting for two hours or more.
What about compensation?
The bad news is that if your flight was cancelled or delayed due to the air traffic control issue, you are unlikely to be owed compensation from the airline.
This is because of the force majeure or exceptional circumstances rule as the disruption was out of the airline’s control.
Have you been affected? Please email webnews@metro.co.uk
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