Airport chaos - live: easyJet cancels more flights, while Gatwick passengers report three-hour queues
Airline-wide systems failure now rectified but flights continue to be disrupted
Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts
Get Simon Calder’s Travel email
The chaos continues today at various airports as the aviation industry buckles under the strain of increased demand.
Following a systems failure yesterday, which saw at least 200 of its flights grounded, easyJet has this morning cancelled another 20 or so services from Gatwick, Bristol, Newcastle and Edinburgh at a few hours’ notice.
The cancellations are likely to affect around 3,000 passengers.
Meanwhile, travellers at Gatwick airport have reported queues of more than three hours to check-in.
“@British_Airways at @Gatwick_Airport what are you playing at. First and last time I’ll be flying from there. Three hours waiting for check in and I’m still waiting,” tweeted one irate passenger, alongside a picture of a long queue with no visible end in sight.
Outside the UK, KLM has suspended all sales of Amsterdam flights this weekend amid staff shortages at Schiphol Airport, while Delta says it will cancel about 100 flights a day in July and August to prevent major summer travel disruptions.
EasyJet cancels dozens more flights, stranding more than 3,000 passengers
As around 30,000 easyJet passengers caught up in Thursday’s IT systems failure try to reach their destinations, the airline has grounded at least 20 more UK flights at short notice – affecting upwards of 3,000 passengers.
At a few hours’ notice, Britain’s biggest budget airline cancelled seven round-trips from Gatwick, serving destinations including Palma de Mallorca and Milan.
Earlier in the week, easyJet had grounded a dozen flights to and from Gatwick, which is its biggest base.
Read the full story:
EasyJet cancels dozens more flights, stranding more than 3,000 passengers
Short-notice cancellations on Friday from Gatwick include flights to Palma de Mallorca and Milan
KLM suspends Amsterdam flights amid staff shortages
Dutch Airline KLM has paused its ticket sales for flights from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport between now and Monday, due to the airport’s ongoing crowding issues caused by staff shortages.
“KLM is putting a brake on ticket sales for flights leaving up until and including Sunday because Schiphol can’t get its security problems fixed,” said an Air France-KLM spokesperson, Gerrie Brand.
The cap on new flight sales from Friday to Sunday is to enable airline staff to accommodate the passengers who have missed flights in recent days on alternative departures.
Read the full story:
KLM suspends Amsterdam flights amid staff shortages
‘KLM is putting a brake on ticket sales for flights leaving up until and including Sunday because Schiphol can’t get its security problems fixed,’ says spokesperson
Holidays cancelled by flight chaos
Devan Lonsdale, 24, from Durham, was due to travel with eight friends from Manchester Airport for a holiday that had already been cancelled due to Covid.
But they have been forced to remain in the UK and cancel their break due to today’s easyJet IT failure.
“We left Newcastle at 6am and got to the airport for 10am as our flight was 1.20pm,” he told said.
“We were called to the gate at 12.35pm and the gate was due to close at 12.50pm but at 1pm it hadn’t budged.
“People started walking off one by one to be told that the flight was cancelled and no replacement, so we were stuck in Manchester.
“We’ve had to pay for hotel etc in Manchester and are now going to go back home tomorrow – (we) have looked for alternate flights to Prague and other locations for a reasonable price so we could make use of our days off work we have used, but found nothing but flights £500+ with multiple stops.
“Only time will tell what easyJet will say and how much money we will get but we will no doubt lose money overall and a four-day holiday.”
What are your rights?
Tens of thousands of easyJet passengers have had their flights cancelled because of a failure of the airline’s IT systems.
Fortunately, consumer law is firmly on passengers’ side in situations such as this.
Simon Calder explains all here:
What are my consumer rights if my flight is cancelled?
Flight cancelled? You are due a replacement flight as soon as possible, meals and hotel accommodation if necessary – and cash compensation as well
‘IT systems issues have now been rectified’: easyJet issues statement on cancellations
easyJet has issued a statement on this afternoon’s cancellations, saying that flights “may still be subject to some disruption in the coming hours” and confirming that customers can claim for appropriate compensation.
An easyJet spokesperson said: “easyJet can confirm that the earlier IT systems issues have now been rectified.
“Unfortunately, they resulted in some cancellations earlier today and while we expect to operate most of our remaining flying programme, some may still be subject to some disruption in the coming hours.
“We advise customers due to travel with us to continue to check Flight Tracker for the status of their flight before making their way to the airport.
“We apologise for the inconvenience caused and customers can apply for compensation in line with regulations.”
‘We made it from Inverness to Gatwick this afternoon’
Amid today’s cancellations and delays, one easyJet passenger has celebrated arriving at the airline’s biggest base, London Gatwick, early - 15 minutes ahead of schedule, to be exact.
The traveller was on a flight from Inverness. Their aircraft had departed from Gatwick minutes before the IT systems failure grounded operations.
The plane turned around at Inverness as normal. It left a few minutes late, but made up time – and, with far fewer easyJet flights around at normally congested Gatwick, arrived ahead of schedule.
easyJet posts flight status link for customers
Nearly an hour and a half after the initial “IT systems issue”, easyJet has issued a Twitter statement apologising to customers.
“We apologise to all customers whose flights have been affected by IT system issues. You can check your flight status here,” the airline wrote in a social media post.
The post links to its flight tracker page, where you can search by flight number or departure and arrival point.
A tranche of Thursday evening flights from Gatwick and Manchester have now been cancelled, including tonight’s Gatwick-Hurghada flight and Manchester’s Milan Malpensa flight.
More flights cancelled into Thursday night
Another tranche of easyJet flights has been cancelled into Thursday evening.
From Gatwick Airport, easyJet’s biggest base, departures to Hurghada in Egypt, Copenhagen, Paris CDG, Geneva, Munich and Malaga have now been axed.
At Manchester, key holiday flights to Faro in Portugal and Milan Malpensa in Italy have been added to the original dozen cancellations.
For each outbound flight that is cancelled, upwards of 150 passengers are likely to be waiting at the other end of the route to fly home.
The Independent is listing the known cancellations here:
easyJet: key flights cancelled to and from UK airports
Gatwick, the airline’s biggest base, has seen at least 40 cancellations on Thursday afternoon and evening
‘No explanation given and zero help from ground crew’: Passenger fury as holidaymakers stranded abroad
easyJet customers are taking to social media to complain about being stranded abroad due to the airline’s IT complications this afternoon.
“Thanks @easyJet for cancelling our flight from Prague to Manchester 2 hours before ! We have had to pay for a hotel tonight, another flight tomorrow and all our expenses. No explanation given and zero help from ground crew,” wrote David Keogh.
“Top work @easyJet leaving 200 plus people stranded until Monday in Pisa due to a cancelled flight,” wrote Twitter user Phil.
Ceitidh wrote: “Hi there, my sister is currently stranded at Palma airport with two four-year-old children and unable to get back to Glasgow after her flight was cancelled. Could you please advise on what she should do in order to get home?”
Many messages touched on the lack of communication from the airline.
Suzanne Seyghal wrote: “Dear @easyJet, have you tried switching it off and an again? You’re welcome. Yours, one of thousands of disgruntled passengers with ruined holiday plans... (PS: if you ever need some comms advice let me know - info was definitely lacking today...)”
Could my easyJet seat be given to someone whose flight was cancelled today?
In today’s Ask Me Anything event, The Independent’s Simon Calder has received a question about how today’s easyJet cancellations could impact flights with the airline later in the week.
One reader asks: “We’re due to fly with easyJet on Sunday. Is there a possibility that those who have had their flights cancelled today could be given our seats? Our flight is fully booked.”
Simon answers: “A really good question. The answer is no. Once someone’s flight is cancelled, they go right to the back of the queue for subsequent departures.
“However, as the article here explains, easyJet must do whatever it takes to get them to their destination on the original day of travel or as soon as possible thereafter, including buying tickets on rival airlines.”
The Ask Me Anything event is ongoing until 5pm - join the conversation in the comments box here:
Simon Calder to answer your travel questions live
The Independent’s travel expert is on hand to answer your queries as countries further afield begin to appeal
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies