Holidaymakers travelling to and from Newcastle Airport have been warned to expect further disruption after a major technical failure in the UK's air traffic control systems caused widespread backlogs. National Air Traffic Services (NATS) confirmed that the issue affecting the flight planning system was identified and fixed on Monday afternoon, but a spokesperson apologised for continued travel disruption.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, 232 flights departing UK airports and 271 arriving flights were cancelled by Monday afternoon. Newcastle International Airport urged passengers to check with their airlines, warning of significant disruption before operations return to normal.
Among those affected were Lisa and Lauren Raisbeck, who finally arrived back in Newcastle at 9pm on Monday after sitting on a Jet2 plane at Malaga Airport for nearly six hours. They had been due to return at 2.40pm. Lisa, from Consett, County Durham, described the ordeal: 'The first we knew about the problem was when we arrived at the airport. We boarded the plane 30 minutes late, but it wasn't until we were on board that we discovered the air traffic control issue.'
Jet2 issued a statement apologising for the delays but said the issues were outside its control. The airline cancelled some outbound flights scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, offering full refunds to affected customers. It advised passengers due to travel on Tuesday to go to the airport as normal unless advised otherwise.
Under UK regulations, airlines are not required to provide compensation for delays or cancellations caused by technical faults, as these are classified as 'extraordinary circumstances'. However, airlines must still provide care, including meals, accommodation, and transport, for passengers affected by delays.
