UK Air Travel Chaos Could Affect Lanzarote Passengers as Air Traffic Control Failure Causes Thousands of Cancellations
Travellers between the UK and Lanzarote are being warned to check their flight status before heading to the airport, following a major technical failure affecting Britain’s air traffic control system.
Thousands of passengers have faced cancellations, lengthy delays and disrupted travel plans after a technical problem affected the UK’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) flight-processing system.
The problem began on Tuesday, 8 September, and although NATS subsequently implemented a fix, the disruption has continued into Wednesday as airlines work to put aircraft, crews and passengers back into position.
By Wednesday, aviation analysts were reporting more than 2,000 cancelled flights connected with the disruption, with further cancellations and delays continuing as the backlog is cleared.
What happened to UK flights?
The disruption began at around lunchtime on Tuesday when NATS experienced a technical problem with its flight-processing system.
NATS provides air traffic control services to 15 UK airports. The failure affected major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham and Stansted, with other airports around the country also experiencing disruption.
The system itself has since been restored, but that does not mean flights immediately return to their normal schedules.
When large numbers of aircraft cannot operate as planned, planes and flight crews can end up in the wrong locations. That creates a knock-on effect which can continue for many hours, and potentially into subsequent days.
Heathrow, for example, warned passengers that flights were operating on Wednesday but that disruption could continue while airlines reposition aircraft and crew.
Could this affect flights between the UK and Lanzarote?
Yes.
Lanzarote is heavily connected to the UK, with regular services from airports including London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, London Luton, Edinburgh, Liverpool and others.
easyJet’s recorded Lanzarote services alone include routes from Gatwick, Manchester, Bristol, Luton, Edinburgh and Birmingham.
There has already been evidence of disruption affecting UK–Lanzarote services. Flight records show several easyJet services between Lanzarote and UK airports were cancelled on 8 September, including flights involving Gatwick, Luton, Edinburgh and Birmingham.
A Ryanair service from Bristol to Lanzarote was also reported as cancelled on Wednesday morning.
That doesn’t mean every flight between the UK and Lanzarote will be affected. Some services are operating normally, while others may be delayed, cancelled or rescheduled depending on the aircraft and crew involved.
What should Lanzarote travellers do?
If you are travelling from the UK to Lanzarote, or flying from Lanzarote back to Britain, the most important advice is simple:
Check directly with your airline before leaving for the airport.
Don’t rely solely on the normal timetable, flight-booking website or information you checked when making your reservation.
Airports including Heathrow and Gatwick have specifically advised passengers to check their individual flight status before travelling because schedules are continuing to change.
This is particularly important for passengers flying with airlines such as easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2 and British Airways, all of which operate UK–Lanzarote services.
What if your flight is cancelled?
If your flight is cancelled, the airline should tell you what options are available.
Depending on the circumstances and the applicable passenger-rights rules, you may be entitled to a refund or alternative flight. The UK Civil Aviation Authority says passengers whose flights are cancelled should generally be offered the choice between receiving a refund or being rerouted to their destination.
However, financial compensation is a separate issue.
Where a disruption is caused by circumstances outside an airline’s control, such as certain air traffic control problems, compensation may not be payable. The CAA says passengers are generally not entitled to compensation where an extraordinary circumstance caused the disruption.
Passengers should nevertheless speak to their airline about their individual circumstances and keep receipts for reasonable expenses they incur as a result of the disruption.
Is the UK air traffic control system working again?
NATS says the original technical problem has been resolved and normal operations have resumed.
However, the aviation network is still dealing with the consequences.
More than 1,700 flight movements were affected on Tuesday alone, according to Cirium data reported on Wednesday, with further cancellations occurring as the recovery continued.
NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe has also confirmed that a cyberattack has been ruled out as the cause of the incident. A full investigation is expected into what happened.
The UK’s Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, has summoned Rolfe to explain the failure and the government’s response.
What does this mean for people already in Lanzarote?
For holidaymakers already enjoying their break on the island, there is no reason to panic.
The disruption is primarily centred on the UK aviation network and the knock-on effects created by the failure.
However, if you’re due to fly from Lanzarote to the UK today or over the next few days, it is sensible to check your flight regularly with your airline.
Lanzarote Airport continues to have UK services operating, and flight tracking data shows UK routes continuing to operate alongside some cancellations and delays.
The situation can change quickly, so passengers should check their specific flight number, rather than assuming that all flights on their route are affected.
