Thousands of passengers faced delays and cancellations on the 21st September 2026 after another technical failure affected the UK’s air traffic control system.

The latest problem was linked to a connectivity issue at NATS’ Prestwick control centre in Scotland. Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast were among the airports affected, while disruption was also reported at London Gatwick and London City.

NATS said the issue was unrelated to the software failure two weeks earlier, which resulted in around 2,000 cancelled flights. Ryanair said approximately 25,000 of its passengers were affected by the latest incident, while easyJet cancelled a number of services and British Airways warned customers to expect disruption.

For passengers caught up in the disruption, the important thing to understand is that compensation, refunds, rerouting and assistance are four separate rights.

You might not receive cash compensation, but that does not mean the airline can simply leave you stranded.

Passengers whose flights were directly affected by the NATS failure are unlikely to qualify for fixed cash compensation.

Under UK261, compensation may be payable when a passenger reaches their final destination more than three hours late or has a flight cancelled at short notice. However, the delay or cancellation must have resulted from something within the airline’s control.

Air traffic control restrictions and failures will generally be treated as extraordinary circumstances. The Civil Aviation Authority has said passengers are unlikely to receive compensation for delays or cancellations directly caused by this latest incident.

This means the usual UK261 compensation payments of between £220 and £520 per passenger are unlikely to apply.

However, airlines must consider each claim on its individual circumstances. If the initial NATS failure caused a relatively short disruption but an airline’s own operational decisions created a much longer delay, the airline would need to explain why compensation was refused.

This is where many passengers become confused.

Compensation is a fixed cash payment intended to recognise disruption caused by something within the airline’s control.

Reimbursement covers reasonable expenses incurred while the airline should have been looking after you. The cause of the disruption does not remove the airline’s duty of care.

Even when a delay is caused by air traffic control, bad weather or another extraordinary circumstance, the airline must still provide eligible passengers with food, refreshments and, when necessary, overnight accommodation.

The airline’s duty to provide care begins after:

Once the relevant threshold has been reached, the airline should provide food and drink appropriate to the length of the delay. This will often be offered through physical or digital airport vouchers.

Passengers should also be offered a means of communication, such as two telephone calls or emails.

If vouchers are not offered, speak to the airline’s staff or contact it through its app, website or customer service channels.

When the airline cannot provide assistance, passengers can purchase reasonable food and non-alcoholic refreshments themselves and submit the receipts afterwards. Keep spending sensible. An airline is unlikely to reimburse alcohol, luxury meals or other excessive purchases.

If your new flight does not depart until the following day, the airline must provide suitable hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and the hotel.

This obligation still applies when the disruption was caused by air traffic control and the airline was not responsible for the original problem.

If the airline does not arrange accommodation, contact it before making your own booking whenever possible. Keep screenshots of any messages, take note of conversations with staff and retain itemised receipts.

Choose a reasonably priced hotel rather than an unnecessarily expensive property. The same principle applies to transport, meals and other essential costs. The CAA confirms that passengers may make reasonable arrangements themselves and claim the cost back when the airline fails to provide the required care.

If UK passenger law applies and your flight is cancelled, the airline must offer you a choice between:

This choice belongs to the passenger.

If you still need to travel, do not immediately accept a refund. Taking the refund will usually end the airline’s obligation to transport you to your destination.

Instead, tell the airline clearly that you want to be rerouted at the earliest opportunity. The airline must find an alternative journey under comparable conditions.

If the airline offers a flight several days later, ask whether an earlier service is available, including an alternative route. Avoid purchasing an expensive replacement flight without first giving the original airline an opportunity to reroute you, unless the situation leaves you with no reasonable alternative. Keep evidence of what was offered and any attempts you made to contact the airline.

A refund may be the best option if the journey no longer serves its original purpose or you no longer wish to travel.

For example, if the cancellation means you will miss the event you were travelling to attend, accepting a refund may make more sense than travelling a day or two later.

If your outbound flight is cancelled and both directions are held on the same booking, you can request a refund for the unused ticket. If you have already started a connecting journey but decide not to continue, you may also be entitled to transport back to your original departure point. Refunds should be paid within seven days.

Be particularly careful with separate bookings. If you arranged your own self-transfer and the first flight is delayed, the airline will not ordinarily be responsible for a separately booked onward flight that you miss.

If the delay reaches five hours or more and you decide not to travel, you can abandon the journey and request a refund for the unused parts of the booking.

Do not select this option if you still intend to take the flight.

Passengers who continue their journey remain entitled to care while waiting, but a refund is not provided simply because the flight arrived late after it had been taken.

UK passenger rights generally apply when your flight:

Other journeys may be protected by equivalent legislation in the country of departure.

Keep your booking confirmation, boarding pass, cancellation notice and every itemised receipt connected to the disruption.

Submit expense claims directly to the operating airline using its official claims process. Claims for expenses and claims for fixed compensation may need to be submitted separately.

If the airline rejects the claim, it should explain its decision. Passengers who remain dissatisfied may be able to escalate the complaint to the airline’s approved Alternative Dispute Resolution provider. If the airline is not a member of one, the CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaints Team may be able to assist.

Travel insurance may also cover losses that fall outside the airline’s legal responsibilities, including missed hotel bookings, event tickets or separately booked connections. Check the policy wording carefully before making a claim.

An air traffic control failure may remove the airline’s obligation to pay fixed cash compensation, but it does not erase your other passenger rights. If your flight is cancelled, you remain entitled to a refund or rerouting. If you are left waiting, the airline must provide appropriate food, refreshments and, where necessary, accommodation. The most important rule is not to accept a refund if you still need the airline to get you to your destination, and always keep receipts when you are forced to make reasonable arrangements yourself.