Thousands of passengers flying to and from the UK have had their flights cancelled due to poor weather conditions and a shortage of air traffic control staff.
Around 3,500 passengers waiting to board 20 flights to or from London Gatwick on Monday morning were grounded. Most were booked on easyJet, which cancelled six flights, including the first flight of the day, to Ibiza, and connections to Naples and Nice.
Passengers were told the crash occurred due to “air traffic control restrictions” beyond the airline’s control.
The cancellations add to the 64 flights easyJet cancelled on Sunday due to short-term staff shortages at its Gatwick control tower.
At least 100 flights were cancelled at Gatwick on Sunday evening, with others arriving extremely late, including a Wizz Air flight to Rome that was due to arrive just after midnight but actually arrived in the Italian capital just before 6am, and an easyJet flight to Lyon, which was four hours behind schedule.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has called for the resignation of the chief executive of air traffic control (ATC) provider Nats.
Key Points
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Ryanair boss wants air traffic control chief to resign
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Full report: UK flight chaos continues with dozens of cancellations at Gatwick and Heathrow
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Which flights were delayed or cancelled?
Air passenger compensation: What are your rights if there is a problem with your flight?
10:02 , Jabed Ahmed
The rules are complex and depend on where your flight originates and the airline involved. Sometimes you might be entitled to a hotel room, all your meals and hundreds of pounds in cash; other times you might just need to chalk up a bad aviation incident to an expensive experience and see if your travel insurance can help.
For flights from UK and EU airports (and those in the wider EEA), the European air passenger rights rules apply. These were introduced in 2006 and are known as EC261. They are designed to require airlines to do the right thing for their passengers.
They outline the care and compensation you can expect if you board on time but are denied boarding, your flight is delayed or cancelled.
Whatever the reason for the cancellation and no matter how much notice was given, you can request replacement transportation: If you want it, the airline must get you to your destination as quickly as possible.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority says this means that if a flight is available on the first day of travel, the passenger must book that flight – even if it is on a rival airline.
Air navigation provider Nats says it is trying to ‘minimise disruption’
09:53 , Jabed Ahmed
The Gatwick control tower is operated by air navigation provider Nats and the company said in a statement on Sunday night that it was trying to “minimise disruption”.
A spokesman said: “Temporary air traffic restrictions are currently in place at London Gatwick Airport to ensure safety. These restrictions are in addition to those already in place due to the short-term absence of staff in the air traffic control tower and adverse weather conditions across the UK and Europe.
“We expect all restrictions to be lifted by the end of the day.”
But as cancellations continued into Monday, Ryanair once again called for the resignation of Nats CEO Martin Rolfe.
EasyJet: ‘We are sorry for the inconvenience’
09:40 , Jabed Ahmed
An easyJet spokesman said: “National Air Traffic Control staff shortages at Gatwick have led to a significantly reduced flow rate being applied to all airlines today. This has resulted in the disruption of flights to and from Gatwick Airport, including some cancellations.
“We are extremely disappointed that customers have been affected by this once again and whilst this is beyond our control, we regret any inconvenience caused.
“We are doing everything we can to minimise the impact of disruptions and have advised those whose flights have been cancelled of their options to rebook or receive a refund, and are providing hotel accommodation and meals where necessary.”
Around 50 departures and 51 arrivals from Gatwick were cancelled on Sunday
09:29 , Jabed Ahmed
Flights from Gatwick have been frequently disrupted by ATC staffing issues.
Analysis of data by flight tracking site FlightRadar24 shows that 49 departures and 51 arrivals were cancelled between 3pm and midnight on Sunday, affecting more than 16,000 passengers.
Many flights were delayed.
Full report: UK flight chaos continues with dozens of cancellations at Gatwick and Heathrow
09:09 , Jabed Ahmed
The Independent’s Travel Correspondent Simon Calder reports:
Flight chaos continues with dozens of cancellations at Gatwick and Heathrow
Which flights were delayed or cancelled?
08:51 , Jabed Ahmed
Around 3,500 passengers waiting to board 20 flights to or from London Gatwick were grounded on Monday morning.
The majority of the flights were from EasyJet, which cancelled its first flight of the day, to Ibiza, and six other flights, including connections to Naples and Nice.
Passengers were told the cause of the crash was “air traffic control restrictions” and was outside the airline’s control.
The cancellations add to the 64 flights easyJet cancelled on Sunday due to short-term staff shortages at its Gatwick control tower.
EasyJet said in a statement on Sunday evening that it was “extremely disappointed that customers have been affected by this once again”.
Given the extent of the disruption on one of the busiest weekends of the year, those most affected were British Airways passengers trying to fly to or from London Heathrow Airport.
Between Friday and Sunday, BA cancelled 240 flights, affecting around 40,000 passengers. On Monday, the airline cancelled a further eight departures and arrivals at Heathrow and six flights at Gatwick.
Ryanair boss wants air traffic control chief to resign
08:47 , Jabed Ahmed
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has made fresh calls for the chief executive of air traffic control (ATC) provider Nats to resign.
Mr O’Leary called for Martin Rolfe to resign and for “someone capable” to take over after flights were disrupted at Gatwick Airport on Sunday due to “Nats staff shortages”.
Mr O’Leary said: “Staff shortages at UK Nats resulted in the delays and cancellations of numerous flights at Gatwick Airport yesterday, Sunday 8 September.
“This is the latest in a long series of errors by UK Nats at Gatwick which have once again disrupted numerous flights and thousands of passengers. Airlines and passengers deserve better.
“Ryanair is calling on UK NATs CEO Martin Rolfe to resign and for someone capable to run the efficient UK ATC service that airlines and passengers have every right to expect.
“If he doesn’t go, (new Transport Secretary) Louise Haigh should sack him.”
Welcome to our live broadcast
08:45 , Jabed Ahmed
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of mass flight delays and cancellations across the UK.
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