Belfast airports hit by delays after UK-wide air traffic control system fault...here’s what to do when your flight is cancelled or delayed

Northern Ireland insurance firm has urged local travellers to understand their rights when their flight is cancelled or delayed.

The warning comes after Belfast International Airport at Aldergrove and George Best Belfast City Airport issued messages on social media confirming that they had been hit by the technical glitch affecting UK flight planning systems.

Hundreds of flights to and from the UK have been estimated to have been cancelled during the bank holiday Monday, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

And as airlines struggle to recover from the failures of the main air-traffic control system across the UK, travel experts at CompareNI.com and Confused.com have issued advice to all passengers to ensure they have been treated according to the law, and compensated fairly.

CompareNI.com guidance:

With residents of the UK making 7.1 million trips abroad each year, it’s important for all passengers catching a flight to stay updated with their trip details in case the journey is pushed back, or cancelled altogether.

Travellers should also consider taking out travel insurance to give them extra peace of mind whilst at the airport - as around 25% of the UK still fail to do so.

Scheduled flight times can often change at the very last minute due to numerous factors - such as adverse weather conditions, security issues, mechanical trouble and timing issues. A change of flight times will often lead to a delayed take-off, or worse, a cancelled trip altogether, leading to frustrations for passengers and staff.

In the event of a cancelled flight, travellers legally have the right to request a full refund from the airline, or a replacement flight which will allow them to get to their final destination.

For any flights that have been called off part-way through, such as a connecting flight being cancelled, travellers can either fly on a replacement journey, or can fly back to the airport which they initially departed from.

Travellers should also be aware that they can request help with travel costs - claiming compensation if the cancelled flight means a delay of arrival by two or more hours.

They can also legally request compensation if a replacement flight means they have been delayed by two or more hours, and less than two weeks’ notice was given.

It’s important to ask for the refund and compensation as soon as possible - either at the airport, or claiming from the airline once travellers have landed back home.

Delayed flights of five or more hours also entitles all passengers to compensation, full refunds, or a replacement trip.

For journeys that have been set back over five hours, travellers do not have to travel. If this is the case, the airline must legally offer a full refund for the original flight, as well as for any onward/return flights from the airline which couldn’t be used, and a flight back to the original airport if part-way through a journey.

If passengers do decide to board the delayed flight, up to £250 in compensation can be claimed - however this is only if the airline is at fault for hold ups (such as technical issues).

The airline will rarely give out compensation if a delay was caused due to reasons beyond their control - such as adverse weather conditions.

Ian Wilson, managing director of CompareNI.com said that although the airline should legally cover compensation or full refunds for cancelled and delayed flights, having travel insurance can give passengers some peace of mind on holiday.

He said: “Depending on the type of policy, some travel insurance providers will offer cover for a delayed flight of over 24 hours, or if an alternative travel option hasn’t been offered.

“Insurance policies for missed or delayed flight departure will pay for costs incurred from delayed flights or if travellers miss the trips because of a situation out of their control (such as getting into a serious accident and being taken to hospital).

“In the case of an airline going bust before passengers are able to get home, taking out the right travel insurance before jetting off will help give travellers protection.

“In the past three years, no fewer than 64 airlines have gone bust - leaving millions of uncertain and anxious passengers stranded in foreign countries. Taking out a travel insurance policy which includes ‘end supplier failure’ should cover travellers if their flights have been cancelled because the company has fallen into administration and gone bust.”

Lifestyle expert, Matthew Harwood at Confused.com travel insurance, agreed: “Following yesterday's UK air traffic control failure, thousands of passengers have been left stranded at airports as their flights have been cancelled or delayed. Glitches have meant that airlines are

working hard to get their aircraft's and staff back onto the right schedules. But this has resulted in major inconveniences for many, and

disruption is set to continue.

"If you're expecting to fly to or from a UK airport over the coming days, you should contact your airline first to check the status of

your flight. It's likely that passengers won't receive compensation for technical issues outside of the airlines control, but airlines do still have a duty of care. So if your flight is cancelled, you should be offered an alternative flight, or a full refund if this isn't possible. If delayed, the airline also has an obligation to provide you with food and drink, or accommodation, if necessary.

“If you have comprehensive travel insurance, you may also be able to make a claim for other expenses for your trip. If you need to make a claim but are unsure what to do, our guide on how to claim on your travel insurance can help."