UK Passengers Told Compensation Unlikely After NATS Outage

The CAA says the NATS outage counts as 'extraordinary circumstances', leaving most of the 300,000-plus travellers hit by this week's flight chaos without compensation.

The Civil Aviation Authority has told travellers caught in this week's NATS outage that they are 'unlikely to be entitled to compensation for delays or cancellations that were directly caused by the incident'. The regulator, which is conducting an independent review, said the disruption is likely to be considered the result of 'extraordinary circumstances' under passenger rights rules. More than 2,000 flights to and from the UK were cancelled or delayed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Daily Mail reports that more than 300,000 holidaymakers were affected after the flight-processing fault, with British Airways alone cancelling or diverting nearly 550 flights affecting more than 85,000 passengers. Under the UK regime carried over from EU Regulation 261, airlines owe fixed compensation only when the cause lies within their control, so an air traffic control failure generally exempts carriers from those payouts even when a national system collapse strands hundreds of thousands.

The compensation exemption does not leave travellers empty-handed. According to the CAA, airlines must still look after affected passengers: refunds for food and drink, accommodation for overnight delays, and a choice between a full refund or rebooking on the next available flight. The LADbible also notes passengers may be eligible for compensation if a flight is cancelled with less than two weeks' notice, and should check whether their airline is UK or EU-based.

Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe was summoned by transport secretary Heidi Alexander, who told MPs she did not believe the four-hour outage was 'unavoidable'. A Downing Street spokesperson said the government still has confidence in Rolfe, who has been tasked with an investigation. Ryanair's COO Neal McMahon repeated calls for the 'overpaid failing' boss to be sacked, arguing his promised back-up system after the 2023 collapse never materialised.

The disruption has also drawn fraudsters. The Independent reports that Hampshire couple Geoff and Janina McBride were targeted by a scammer posing as a British Airways employee offering fake replacement flights for about £600 each, before NatWest intervened and blocked the payments. Separately, the paper relays an Australian reader's account of cancelled flights from Zurich costing more than £545 in accommodation and taxis with no airline staff on hand.

Disruption is easing: The Independent reports that by 8am Thursday Flightradar24 showed 58 delayed flights at Heathrow averaging 14 minutes, while Gatwick said operations had 'returned largely to normal'. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said 399 UK flights were cancelled on Wednesday and none were expected on Thursday. The CAA's independent review will report to the transport secretary within six months, while Virgin Atlantic has urged customers to arrive at the airport on time.