:quality(85):upscale()/2023/08/17/783/n/1922283/945476e664de5d49cd4747.40537942_.jpg "How to verify if my flight is canceled as millions stranded in the aftermath of air traffic control failure")
This week’s air traffic control issues have resulted in a backlog of passengers (Picture: PA) The air traffic control malfunction that led to the cancellation of numerous flights to and from the UK on Bank Holiday Monday continues to cause repercussions, with the disastrous outage being referred to as an “international disgrace.” While some repatriation flights have already taken place on Wednesday – with easyJet passengers being brought back from Palma, Majorca, and Faro – many individuals are still waiting to find out when they will be able to fly. Some holidaymakers have been seen sleeping on chairs, missing important life events, and even running low on medication. The problem occurred when National Air Traffic Services (Nats) announced that it had received flight data that caused both its main and secondary systems to halt automatic processing on Monday morning. This issue necessitated the manual processing of all flight plans, causing significant disruption for every flight in and out of the UK. With the disruption expected to continue for a significant period in order to clear the backlog of passengers, how can you determine if your flight has been canceled or will depart as scheduled? How to ascertain if your flight has been canceled If your flight is canceled or delayed, your airline will usually notify you via text message or email. However, if you wish to check the status of your flight yourself, you can usually do so through the website, app, or social media channels of the airline you are flying with or the airport you are departing from. Flightaware or Flightstats are also useful websites and apps that provide information on cancellations and delays. You will need your flight number to use any of the aforementioned platforms, although you can still find the status of your flight online by entering your departure point and destination city. In the aftermath of the air traffic control failure, passengers have been advised to check with their airline before heading to the airport to determine if their flight is operating as usual. Can you receive a refund if your flight is canceled? If your flight is delayed by more than five hours, you are entitled to a refund, unless the delay is due to extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather or air traffic control strikes. According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA): “Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control strikes, or other exceptional circumstances are not eligible for compensation.” However, the CAA states: “If you still wish to travel, your airline must make arrangements for you to reach your destination.” If the airline is at fault, you can claim £220 for flights up to 1,500 km, £350 for flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km, or £260 for all other flights (the amount increases to £520 if the delay exceeds 4 hours). Under UK law, airlines are also required to provide passengers experiencing “significant delays” with food and drinks (usually in the form of vouchers), means of communication, and, if their flight is postponed by a day, temporary accommodation and transportation to the lodging. “Significant delays” refer to waits of more than two hours for short-haul flights, three hours for medium-haul flights, and four hours for long-haul flights. More: Travel Can you receive a refund if your flight is canceled? You are entitled to a refund if your flight is delayed by more than five hours, unless it is due to extraordinary circumstances like dangerous weather or air traffic control strikes. According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA): “Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes, or other extraordinary circumstances are not eligible for compensation.” However, it adds: “If you still want to travel then your airline must get you to your destination.” If the airline is at fault you can claim £220 for flights of up to 1,500 km; £350 for flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km or £260 for all other flights (this increases to £520 if the delay is longer than 4 hours). Under UK law, airlines must also provide passengers experiencing “significant delays” with food and drink (usually in voucher form), means of communication and, if their flight is pushed back a day, temporary accommodation and transport to the lodgings. “Significant delays” mean waits of more than two hours for short-haul flights, three hours for medium-haul, and four hours for long-haul.
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However, it adds: “If you still want to travel then your airline must get you to your destination.” If the airline is at fault you can claim £220 for flights of up to 1,500 km; £350 for flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km or £260 for all other flights (this increases to £520 if the delay is longer than 4 hours). Under UK law, airlines must also provide passengers experiencing ‘significant delays’ with food and drink (usually in voucher form), means of communication and, if their flight is pushed back a day, temporary accommodation and transport to the lodgings. “Significant delays’ mean waits of more than two hours for short-haul flights, three hours for medium-haul and four hours for long-haul.
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