The UK's Civil Aviation Authority has encountered issues with air traffic control systems, leading to travel disruptions at Heathrow and Gatwick airports. According to ABTA, passengers whose flights are delayed by two hours or more are entitled to refreshments after certain time thresholds: 2 hours for flights under 1,500km, 3 hours for mid-haul trips, and 4 hours for longer journeys. Passengers can also claim compensation of up to £520 if their flight is delayed three hours or more due to circumstances outside the airline's control. ABTA notes that passengers have significant rights when flights are cancelled, including replacement flights, refunds, and customer care assistance.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
While the problem has been fixed, experts say the knock-on disruption to airline schedules will last for several days.
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disruption → fix → days
What if my flight is delayed?
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flight → delay → ?
According to ABTA (The Association of British Travel Agents), If your flight is delayed by under two hours, you have no rights - unless a short delay in the UK results in a missed connection and much later arrival at your final destination.
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delay → accord → destination
For flights up to 1,500km, refreshments should be given after two hours, while mid-haul passengers (1,500 to 3,500km) are entitled after three hours.
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passengers → give → hours
If the airline believes that providing the care would further delay the flight, it need not deliver.
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it → believe → flight
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For overnight delays, airlines are obliged to find and pay for a hotel room.
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airlines → read → room
Carriers often invite passengers to book their own and reclaim later.
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Carriers → invite → own
While not fully compliant with the rules, aviation authorities usually turn a blind eye.
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authorities → turn → eye
If your delay exceeds five hours, your airline must offer you the choice of taking a refund of the flight cost.
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airline → exceed → cost
Regarding compensation, this will depend on what caused the delay.
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what → regard → delay
If it wasn’t the airline’s fault, such as with Tuesday’s air traffic control systems failure, you won’t be entitled to receive any compensation.
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you → entitle → compensation
If you reach your final destination three hours or more after the original arrival time, and it wasn’t due to extraordinary circumstances, then you’re generally entitled to compensation, awarded in pounds or euros depending on where your flight was due to depart from.
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flight → reach → pounds
This would be £220 for flights of up to 1,500 km, £350 for flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km, and £260 for all other flights (increased to £520 if the delay is longer than 4 hours).
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delay → increase → hours
If the delay leads to your holiday being cancelled, or new arrangements are made that result in a significant change to your holiday, then your travel company must offer an alternative holiday if they can, or a refund of the full package price, not just the flight part.
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they → lead → price
Generally, a change of more than 12 hours on a 14-night holiday is considered a significant change.
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change → consider → holiday
What if my flight is cancelled?
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flight → cancel → ?
According to ABTA, passengers have “significant rights in relation to replacement flights, refunds and general customer care”.
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passengers → accord → flights
If a flight is cancelled for a departure from the UK, or for a journey to the UK with a UK airline, then the airline must offer passengers the choice of a replacement flight at the earliest opportunity or a refund.
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airline → cancel → opportunity
If you were at the airport when your flight was cancelled, and you’ve chosen rerouting, you’re also entitled to care and assistance while you wait to be rerouted.
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you → cancel → care
Your airline may advise you to make alternative travel arrangements, and then claim back the cost later.
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airline → advise → cost
If you do this, again, keep receipts noting that costs should be reasonable and alcohol will not be included.
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alcohol → do → receipts
If your airline offers a flight to an alternative arrival airport, they must bear the cost of transferring you to the original airport or to another close-by destination agreed with you.
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they → offer → you
If you choose a refund, you can get your money back for all parts of the ticket you haven’t used.
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you → choose → ticket
For instance, if you’ve booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket back from your airline.
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you → book → airline
Regarding compensation, this will depend on what caused the delay.
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what → regard → delay
If it wasn’t the airline’s fault, such as with Tuesday’s air traffic control systems failure, you won’t be entitled to receive any compensation.
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you → entitle → compensation
If the airline gave you more than 14 days’ notice of the cancellation, they are not obliged to pay you compensation.
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they → give → compensation
If you received less than 14 days’ notice of the cancellation, then you’re generally entitled to compensation, awarded in pounds or euros depending on where your flight was due to depart from.
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flight → receive → pounds
Regarding package holidays, you benefit from all the above rights as well as additional rights regarding the rest of your holiday.
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you → regard → holiday
Normally your travel company will contact you in advance to re-arrange your flights, however, if you’re at the airport when the flight is cancelled you should contact your travel company to talk through your options.
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you → contact → options
If your flight can’t be rearranged and your holiday has to be cancelled, or new arrangements are made that result in a significant change to your holiday, then the travel company must offer an alternative holiday if they can, or a refund of the full package price, not just the flight part.
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they → rearrange → price
Generally, a change of more than 12 hours on a 14-night holiday is considered a significant change.
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change → consider → holiday
What if I’m travelling back to the UK?
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I → travel → UK
Passengers flying back to the UK with a non-UK airline will need to check the terms and conditions of their booking to see what they’re entitled to.
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they → fly → what
UK consumer laws apply to passengers on flights departing from an airport in the UK (on any airline), flights arriving at an airport in the UK (on an EU or UK airline) and flights arriving at an airport in the EU on a UK airline.
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laws → apply → airline
They do not cover flights arriving in the UK on a non-EU or UK airline.
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They → cover → airline
Grant Winter, compliance officer at specialist travel insurance provider, Good to go, said: “When you book flights with an airline, you’re essentially entering a contract that means they are required to get you to a certain destination, at an agreed time.
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they → go → time
“If they’re unable to follow through with their end, they have a legal duty under UK law, to offer you a full refund or provide an alternative flight.”
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they → ’re → flight
