Ryanair boss demands resignation of air traffic control chief over Gatwick flight delays

Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has again called for the resignation of the CEO of air traffic control company Nats.

Mr O’Leary urged Martin Rolfe to step down and put “someone in a competent position” in charge after flights at Gatwick Airport were disrupted on Sunday due to “staff shortages at the Nats”.

Analysis of data from the flight tracking website FlightRadar24 shows that 49 departing flights and 51 arrivals were cancelled between 3pm and midnight on Sunday, affecting more than 16,000 passengers.

“Ryanair once again calls on Martin Rolfe, CEO of UK Nats, to step down and allow someone with the right qualifications to lead the efficient UK ATC service that airlines and passengers have a right to expect,” O’Leary said.

“If he doesn’t want to go, then (new Transport Secretary) Louise Haigh should sack him.”

About 3,500 passengers due to fly to or from London Gatwick on 20 flights on Monday morning have been grounded. Most were booked on easyJet, which cancelled its first flight of the day, to Ibiza, and six others, including connections to Naples and Nice.

Passengers were told the cause was “air traffic control restrictions” beyond the airline’s control.

Key Points

Ryanair boss demands resignation of air traffic control chief
Full report: UK flight chaos continues with dozens more cancellations at Gatwick and Heathrow
Which flights are delayed or cancelled?

Simon Calder: Your best strategy if your British Airways flight is cancelled

10:47 , Jabed Ahmed

Your best strategy if your British Airways flight is cancelled

Can you get compensation if your flight is cancelled or delayed?

10:34 , Jabed Ahmed

You could be entitled to hundreds of pounds in compensation if the airline:

you give less than 14 days’ notice of the cancellation and cannot find an alternative means of getting you to your destination close to the original departure and arrival times, and
is responsible for the cancellation – meaning the airline cannot rely on ‘extraordinary circumstances’ as a reason for grounding the flight.

The payment varies depending on the length of the journey. There is also a small variation depending on whether the flight originates in the UK or the EU. (After Brexit, the UK largely retained the same laws, but with amounts in pounds, not euros.)

Less than 1,500km, for example London to Nice: £220 or €250
1,500-3,500 km, e.g. Manchester-Malaga: £350 or €400
Over 3,500 km, e.g. Birmingham-Dubai: £520 or €600

If the airline can get you to your destination within two/three/four hours after the expected time respectively, the compensation will be halved.

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What to do when an airline says it can’t provide an alternative flight today

10:23 , Jabed Ahmed

If the cancelling airline fails to fulfil its obligation to rebook you as soon as possible, or if you are unable to reach the airline, you can take action yourself and expect to be reimbursed for reasonable costs.

This means you should book the cheapest alternative ticket, stay in a budget hotel if available, etc. You should of course keep all your receipts. If the alternative is expensive (e.g. only business class is available), you should be able to show proof of this, such as screenshots showing the limited availability.

Air Passenger Compensation: What Are Your Rights If a Flight Goes Wrong?

10:02 , Jabed Ahmed

The rules are complicated and depend on where your flight originates and the airline involved. Sometimes you’ll be entitled to a hotel room, all meals and hundreds of pounds in cash; other times you may just have to dismiss a dismal aviation episode as an expensive experience and see if your travel insurer can help.

Flights from airports in the UK and the EU (and also those in the wider EEA) are subject to the European Air Passenger Rights rules. These were introduced in 2006 and are known as EC261. They are designed to oblige airlines to do the right thing for their passengers.

This describes what care and compensation you can expect if you are not allowed to board, even if you are on time, or if your flight is delayed or cancelled.

Whatever the reason for the cancellation and however far in advance you cancel your flight, you can always insist on alternative transportation. The airline must then take you to your destination as quickly as possible, if that is what you want.

According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority, this means that if a flight is available on the original day of travel, the passenger must be booked on it, even if it is a competing airline.

Airline Nats says it is trying to ‘minimise disruption’

09:53 , Jabed Ahmed

Gatwick’s control tower is run by airline Nats, which said on Sunday evening it was trying to “minimise disruption”.

A spokesman said: “There are currently temporary restrictions on air traffic in place at London Gatwick Airport to ensure safety. These restrictions are due to the short absence of staff from the control tower and are in addition to existing restrictions already in place due to adverse weather conditions across the UK and Europe.

“We expect all restrictions to be lifted by the end of the day.”

But as flights continued to be cancelled until Monday, Ryanair again demanded the resignation of Nats CEO Martin Rolfe.

EasyJet: ‘We apologize for the inconvenience’

09:40 , Jabed Ahmed

An easyJet spokesman said: “Due to staff shortages at Gatwick Air Traffic Control, all airlines have experienced significantly reduced traffic flow today, causing disruption to flights into and out of Gatwick Airport, including some cancellations.

“We are extremely disappointed that customers are experiencing this again. While this is beyond our control, we apologize for the inconvenience.

“We are doing everything we can to minimise the impact of the disruption and have informed those on cancelled flights of their options to rebook or receive a refund, as well as providing hotel accommodation and meals where required.”

Nearly 50 departures and 51 arrivals from Gatwick were cancelled on Sunday

09:29 , Jabed Ahmed

Flights from Gatwick are often disrupted by staffing problems at air traffic control.

Many other flights were delayed.

Full report: UK flight chaos continues with dozens more cancellations at Gatwick and Heathrow

09:09 , Jabed Ahmed

Simon Calder, travel reporter at The Independent, reports:

Flight chaos continues with dozens of new cancellations at Gatwick and Heathrow

Which flights are delayed or cancelled?

08:51 , Jabed Ahmed

About 3,500 passengers expected to board 20 flights to or from London Gatwick on Monday morning have been grounded.

Most flights were booked with EasyJet, which cancelled the first flight of the day (to Ibiza) and six other flights, including connections to Naples and Nice.

Passengers were told the cause was ‘air traffic control restrictions’ and that the airline had no control over this.

The cancellations come on top of the 64 flights easyJet grounded on Sunday due to a shortage of staff at Gatwick’s control tower.

EasyJet said on Sunday evening it was “extremely disappointed that customers are being affected by this again”.

In terms of the scale of the disruption during one of the busiest weekends of the year, it is British Airways passengers trying to fly to or from London Heathrow who have suffered the most.

BA cancelled 240 flights between Friday and Sunday, affecting around 40,000 passengers. On Monday, the airline grounded a further eight departing and arriving flights at Heathrow, plus six at Gatwick.