UK air traffic control failure is still disrupting flights

Hundreds of flights were cancelled in the wake of an air traffic control glitch, with people stranded abroad facing long waits to get on a plane back home.

Wednesday 30 August 2023 09:03, UK

Thousands of people are still stranded abroad and trying to get home to the UK after an air traffic control system fault grounded flights on Monday.

Here's the latest information on the situation as of Wednesday 30 August:

How long could the disruption last?

Airlines and airports have warned travel disruption could last for days.

Thousands of passengers remained stranded 48 hours after the glitch.

On Monday - the day of the failure - 20% of UK departures and 27% of arrivals were cancelled.

Aviation analysts fear the cancellations could have knock-on effects that last well into this week - with planes in the wrong places, and a backlog of passengers trying to get to their destinations.

Willie Walsh: Boss of airlines group says air traffic control firm NATS should pay for 'shocking' airport chaos

What led to this week's air traffic flight disruption - and how a repeat could be avoided

Air traffic control chaos: Could it happen again?

National Air Traffic Services (NATS) operations director Juliet Kennedy has warned "it will take some time for flights to return to normal".

Read more:Why can't passengers get off a plane delayed on the tarmac?

What was the fault?

The boss of NATS, the National Air Traffic Controllers told Sky News he could not rule out that a single misfiled flight plan was the cause of disrupted travel over the last two days.

The system suffered a "failure in processing some of the flight data we receive", said Martin Rolfe.

The organisation resorted to manual data handling to "make sure that we can never present erroneous or mistaken safety-critical data to controllers", he said.

They reduced the number of aircraft that could take off and land at a given time to manage flow, but did not close the UK's airspace.

Asked if the disruption was caused by an incorrectly filed flight plan by a French airline, he said: "We are not in a position yet to go into that."

An investigation is ongoing but "we are fairly certain nothing points to a cyberattack in this particular instance," he added.

What should I do if I'm travelling?

If you're due to fly in or out of the UK, check the status of your flight with your airline - this is what each airport and airline is currently advising.

If you're already at the airport, keep an eye on display screens.

This article will continue to be updated with all the latest information you need if you're due to travel.

What are my rights if my flight is delayed?

Disruption to air traffic control counts as an "extraordinary circumstance".

That means it is out of the airline's control - so they don't have to offer compensation.

But if your short-haul flight (under 932 miles) is delayed by two hours or more, airlines must offer assistance under UK law.

For longer flights up to 2,175 miles, the delay must be more than three hours to qualify, and for long-haul flights going further than that, the delay must reach four hours to get assistance.

They have a duty to provide:• two free phone calls, faxes or emails (often by refunding the cost of your calls)• free meals and refreshments appropriate to the delay (often in voucher form)• free hotel accommodation and hotel transfers if an overnight stay is required.

Sometimes airlines may be unable to provide assistance to all passengers, particularly where staff are stretched - which could be the case with the mass delays after the air traffic glitch.

If this is the case, the Civil Aviation Authority says passengers should organise their own assistance and claim the cost back later.

"If you end up paying for things yourself, keep every receipt and do not spend more than is reasonable," its website says.

It cautions airlines are unlikely to reimburse for alcohol or luxury hotels. Some airlines provide guidelines on what counts as reasonable expenses.

Whatever the reason for the delay, you are entitled to a full refund if you decide to abandon your journey after five hours of delays.

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What if I'm about to travel?

If you miss a connecting flight because your first plane was delayed, the airline needs to get you to your destination on the next available flight.

Bear in mind that flights are likely to be very busy this week, so the next availability might not be soon.

Things get a little more complicated for passengers on package holidays - especially if you decide not to travel on a delayed outbound flight.

The CAA's guidance says: "You may lose your holiday too, so we recommend you contact your package organiser or the airline for further information.

"If you still want to travel then your airline must get you to your destination. You might have to be patient while they rearrange transport and rebook passengers, but the law says they must get you there."

Many travellers end up booking their flights, hotels and excursions separately. If you don't travel and cannot cancel your accommodation or activities, you may be able to claim back on your travel insurance if it's a comprehensive policy.

Easyjet to run repatriation flights

EasyJet will run five repatriation flights to Gatwick and will also operate larger aircraft on key routes to get people home.

It said its operations are now running normally, and customers are still being provided with assistance.

Here are the five flights being run by the airline:

What happened to flights on Monday?

Flights were held on the tarmac or diverted to airports in Ireland or mainland Europe when the glitch hit, travel journalist Simon Calder told Sky News.

"There are hundreds of planes up in the sky heading to the UK," he said as officials scrambled to remedy the problem. That meant hundreds of thousands of passengers affected.

The August bank holiday is one of the busiest days of the year for air travel.

Mr Calder said some flights would be able to land as air traffic controllers switched from digital to "much more analogue" systems, but the rate would be much slower.