UK airport chaos live updates: Ryanair boss calls for air traffic chief to resign over Gatwick flight delays
Thousands of passengers flying to and from the UK have had their flights cancelled after a combination of bad weather and air-traffic control staff shortages
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has issued fresh calls for the resignation of the chief executive of air traffic control (ATC) provider Nats.
Mr O’Leary urged Martin Rolfe to step down and “allow someone competent” to take over after flights were disrupted at Gatwick Airport on Sunday due to “Nats staff shortages”.
Analysis of data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24 shows 49 departures and 51 arrivals were cancelled on Sunday between 3pm and midnight, affecting more than 16,000 passengers.
“Ryanair again calls on UK Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe to step down and allow someone competent to run an efficient UK ATC service, which airlines and passengers are entitled to expect,” Mr O’Leary said.
“If he won’t go, then (new Transport Secretary) Louise Haigh should sack him.”
Around 3,500 passengers expecting to fly to or from London Gatwick on 20 flights on Monday morning have been grounded. Most are booked on easyJet, which cancelled its first flight of the day, to Ibiza, and six others including links to Naples and Nice.
Passengers were told the cause was “air-traffic control restrictions” outside the airline’s control.
Fire warning issued as airline passengers ignore safety rule
Air passenger compensation: What are your rights when a flight goes wrong?
Simon Calder discusses disruption to 50,000 passengers at Gatwick and Heathrow on weekend of travel chaos
UK flight chaos continues with dozens more cancellations at Gatwick and Heathrow
What if you have a justifiable claim but it is turned down?
You can go to a claims handler such as AirHelp, but be warned that the company will keep between 35 and 50 per cent of any payout (the higher amount if court action is involved).
Another course of action is alternative dispute resolution, but The Independent has serious reservations about some of the decisions of these arbiters.
Writing a Letter Before Action – warning that you will go to Money Claim Online if you do not get a positive response within two weeks – is worth trying, so long as you follow through. For a £350 claim the fee is £50, which is refunded if you win.
Since Brexit UK citizens no longer have access to the European Small Claims Procedure, so if you are chasing compensation on a flight originating in the EU it might be easiest to go through a claims handler.
Full report: UK flight chaos continues with dozens more cancellations at Gatwick and Heathrow
The Independent’s Travel Correspondent Simon Calder reports:
Flight chaos continues with dozens more cancellations at Gatwick and Heathrow
Exclusive: British Airways and easyJet have grounded dozens more flights as Ryanair demands the resignation of air-traffic control boss
Aviation minister commits to tackling ‘long overdue’ airspace modernisation
Tackling issues with Europe’s airspace is “long overdue” and will speed up flights, a minister has said.
Aviation minister Mike Kane said UK airspace management is “an analogue system in a digital age”, and improvements will lead to “quicker, quieter, cleaner flights”.
He was speaking at an easyJet sustainability event at Cranfield University, where the airline said inefficient use of airspace contributes to increases in fuel consumption, carbon emissions and flight times.
The carrier described the problem as a “universal issue” across the whole of Europe, but the “greatest inefficiencies” for its operations are in the UK.
Among the causes are aircraft being required to climb in steps after take-off, complex routing, and delaying descents to manage the workload of air traffic control (ATC) staff.
Nearly 50 departures and 51 arrivals were cancelled on Sunday from Gatwick
Gatwick flights have frequently been disrupted due to ATC staffing issues.
Analysis of data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24 shows 49 departures and 51 arrivals were cancelled on Sunday between 3pm and midnight, affecting more than 16,000 passengers.
Many other flights were delayed.
What flights have been delayed or cancelled?
Around 3,500 passengers expecting to fly to or from London Gatwick on 20 flights on Monday morning have been grounded.
Most are booked on EasyJet, which cancelled its first flight of the day, to Ibiza, and six others including links to Naples and Nice.
Passengers were told the cause was “air-traffic control restrictions” and outside the airline’s control.
The cancellations are in addition to 64 flights grounded by easyJet on Sunday due to short-notice staff shortage in Gatwick’s control tower.
EasyJet said on Sunday evening that it was “extremely disappointed that customers are once again being impacted by this”.
In terms of the sheer scale of disruption over one of the busiest weekends of the year, British Airways passengers trying to fly to or from London Heathrow have been worst affected.
Between Friday and Sunday BA cancelled 240 flights, affecting around 40,000 passengers. On Monday the airline had grounded a further eight departures and arrivals at Heathrow, plus six at Gatwick.
Simon Calder: Your best strategy if your British Airways flight is cancelled
Your best strategy if your British Airways flight is cancelled
The Man Who Pays His Way: In a hurry to get somewhere? You may need to pay and reclaim
Can you get cash compensation if your flight is cancelled or delayed?
You are due hundreds of pounds in compensation if the airline:
- gives you less than 14 days’ notice of the cancellation and cannot find an alternative way to get you to your destination close to the original departure and arrival times, and
- is responsible for the cancellation – ie it cannot plead “extraordinary circumstances” as causing the grounding of the flight.
The payment varies according to the length of the trip. There is also a slight variation depending on whether the flight starts in the UK or the EU. (After Brexit the UK retained largely identical legislation but with amounts in sterling, not euros).
- Under 1,500km, for example London to Nice: £220 or €250
- 1,500-3,500km, such as Manchester-Malaga: £350 or €400
- Above 3,500km, e g Birmingham-Dubai: £520 or €600
If the airline can get you to your destination within two/three/four hours respectively of the expected time, the compensation is halved.
What if you have a justifiable claim but it is turned down?
You can go to a claims handler such as AirHelp, but be warned that the company will keep between 35 and 50 per cent of any payout (the higher amount if court action is involved).
Another course of action is alternative dispute resolution, but The Independent has serious reservations about some of the decisions of these arbiters.
Writing a Letter Before Action – warning that you will go to Money Claim Online if you do not get a positive response within two weeks – is worth trying, so long as you follow through. For a £350 claim the fee is £50, which is refunded if you win.
Since Brexit UK citizens no longer have access to the European Small Claims Procedure, so if you are chasing compensation on a flight originating in the EU it might be easiest to go through a claims handler.
EasyJet: ‘We are sorry for the inconvenience caused’
A spokesperson for easyJet said: “Nats air-traffic control staffing shortages at Gatwick led to a significantly reduced flow rate being imposed on all airlines today which is resulting in flights to and from Gatwick airport being subject to disruption including some cancellations.
“We are extremely disappointed that customers are once again being impacted by this and while this is outside of our control, we are sorry for the inconvenience caused.
“We are doing all possible to minimise the impact of the disruption and have notified those on cancelled flights of their options to rebook or receive a refund and are providing hotel accommodation and meals where required.”
Aviation minister commits to tackling ‘long overdue’ airspace modernisation
Tackling issues with Europe’s airspace is “long overdue” and will speed up flights, a minister has said.
Aviation minister Mike Kane said UK airspace management is “an analogue system in a digital age”, and improvements will lead to “quicker, quieter, cleaner flights”.
He was speaking at an easyJet sustainability event at Cranfield University, where the airline said inefficient use of airspace contributes to increases in fuel consumption, carbon emissions and flight times.
The carrier described the problem as a “universal issue” across the whole of Europe, but the “greatest inefficiencies” for its operations are in the UK.
Among the causes are aircraft being required to climb in steps after take-off, complex routing, and delaying descents to manage the workload of air traffic control (ATC) staff.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments