Air traffic control delays: What to do if your UK flight has been delayed today

“Be prepared for delays and disruption,” says Simon Calder, The Independent’s Travel Correspondent

Hundreds of thousands of passengers face major flight delays and cancellations after a technical issue hit UK air traffic control systems on Bank Holiday Monday.

The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said the issue was fixed late on Monday afternoon but passengers have been warned of knock-on delays, with some expected to be held up by up to 12 hours.

National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said it had suffered a “technical issue” and subsequently put traffic flow restrictions in place to maintain safety.

The cause of the delays was an issue with processing flight plans which meant it had to be done manually, NATS said in a statement.

Even though the issue is resolved, the disruption so far to schedules means long delays and cancellations will continue for at least the rest of the day.

More than 500 UK flights have been cancelled so far, according to the latest data.

What should I do if I need to catch a flight from the UK today?

Airports and airlines are currently advising passengers to check the status of their flight before travelling, which can be found on the airline’s website.

If you’re already at the airport, passengers are told to keep checking the boards for updates as well as airline websites.

For those taking short-haul flights, British Airways has advised passengers not to travel to the airport before checking the flight’s status online as it may no longer be operating.

Airlines Ryanair and Aer Lingus have said this situation is “beyond their control,” but have issued an apology to affected customers.

Simon Calder,The Independent’s Travel Correspondent, told passengers to “be prepared for delays and disruption.”

Will I receive compensation if my flight is delayed?

Any disruption caused by “extraordinary circumstances,” means you are not eligible for compensation.

This includes things like airport or air traffic control employee strikes, bad weather or any other “extraordinary circumstances.”

For flights under UK law, passengers are entitled to a refund or alternative flight, as well as refreshments and accommodation if the flight is delayed overnight.

UK Civil Aviation Authority advises passengers to keep every receipt and not to spend more than is reasonable.

You are only entitled to compensation if the cancellation is the airline’s responsibility.

Should I be worried about planes in the air?

The technical issue poses no risk to safety as all aircraft have “contingency fuel” which they can use if made to divert to a different airport, says Simon Calder.

The National Air Traffic Services has applied traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety.

How many flights are being cancelled?

Aviation data company Cirium reported 8 per cent of all departures, from UK airports have been cancelled so far - that’s 232 flights.

There have been 271 cancellations of arrivals to UK airports, which makes up 9 per cent of arrivals.

This data does not take into account flights that are delayed, Cirium adds.

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?

Your airline has to let you choose between a refund or an alternative flight if your flight is covered by UK law, regardless of when the cancellation is announced.

You are also entitled to refreshments if you’re stuck at the airport for a prolonged amount of time.

Ryanair said in a statement: “All affected passengers will be notified of their options to change flights (free of charge) to another Ryanair flight or receive a full refund.”