Airlines have demanded tens of millions in compensation for the August bank holiday air traffic control meltdown during a meeting with MPs, with one calling for the resignation of the system’s £1.3-million-a-year chief executive.
Airlines and airports face issues with the outage at Swanwick (Credit: iStock)
Parliament’s transport committee heard airlines claim they were not directly informed about the 28 August debacle, which saw UK air traffic control grind to a halt at 08.30 due to a systems bug that affected 2,000 flights and 300,000 passengers. Ryanair estimated the cost of the disruption at £15 million, and easyJet a similar figure.
The committee was told airlines scrambled to find accommodation for passengers on one of the year’s busiest travel days, with many left sleeping in airports.
Get unlimited access to the latest travel industry news and analysis, comment on articles and sign up to newsletters.
Register for free
Already registered? Login here or below.
Having difficulty logging in? Try these tips, or contact support@ttgmedia.com
