British Airways passengers were left stranded in Italy overnight after a technical issue with National Air Traffic Services (Nats) grounded flights across the UK on Tuesday, affecting tens of thousands of people.
Among those impacted was Simon Weeks, who said he and others had been waiting in Brindisi for hours without any update from the airline. Sharing a letter he received from BA late in the evening, Weeks claimed all hotels in the port city were now fully booked.
He wrote: "You've left everyone here stranded. You could've cancelled this flight hours ago which would've given many vulnerable people here half a chance."
BA cancels over 100 flights
BA said it was forced to cancel or divert more than 100 flights on Tuesday, impacting "tens of thousands of customers." Passengers received a letter from the carrier apologising for the inconvenience but were left to arrange their own accommodation.
The statement read: "We're sorry that your flight has been delayed overnight... We don't underestimate the inconvenience this will cause." It continued: "We're sorry, but we're unable to provide you with accommodation, and you need to make your own arrangements."
BA added that passengers could submit a claim with receipts and the airline would reimburse reasonable accommodation costs.
Disruptions continue into Wednesday
The disruptions, expected to continue into Wednesday, affected travel at airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is set to speak with Nats' chief executive officer Martin Rolfe on Wednesday before she addresses MPs in the Commons for the second reading of the Civil Aviation Bill.
Rolfe said he "always accept(s) full responsibility" when asked if he was considering his position after the incident. He told Sky News: "I am the CEO of a piece of critical infrastructure, so it is my job to take responsibility for that."
He added: "What I absolutely take responsibility for is keeping people safe and delivering the best service we possibly can on a day like today. You will understand my focus is entirely about how we actually resolve this issue, get things back to normal, help our airlines, our airport customers and the travelling public."
