Latest news with #flightCancellations
The Sun
14-07-2025
- The Sun
Southend Airport crash: What to do if your flight is cancelled and how to claim
SOUTHEND Airport remains closed after a small plane crashed in a fireball yesterday. A statement from the airport last night said: "All flights to and from the airport have been cancelled while police, emergency services and air accident investigators are attending the incident. "We ask that any passengers due to travel tomorrow (Monday) via London Southend Airport contact their airline for information and advice." The closure of Southend Airport could not have come at a worse time. With the start of the school holidays just a week away, schedules would have ramped up for both low-cost giant easyJet and domestic airline Eastern Airways. At easyJet there is the possibility of diverting flights to its other bases in the south east including Gatwick and Luton. Anyone impacted should immediately contact their airline and make sure they also have all your most up to date contact details. As the closure of the airport was in no way the fault of the airlines there is no compensation due. But airlines do have a duty of care to ensure you are looked after and crucially delivered to your final destination as soon as possible. You are also entitled to a refund but bear in mind if you take this option, your airline will then have no further responsibility. Those abroad who have been unable to return to the UK due to the airport closure should still be provided with food and drink during any delay and overnight accommodation if it is necessary. If your airline does not provide you with vouchers for refreshments or a hotel, you are able to claim any expenses back from the airline but only if the purchases are proportionate and make sure to keep all receipts. If you have travel insurance it is also worth checking to see if you can claim for any other expenses, such as accommodation or tours that you were unable to take.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Yahoo
Southend Airport remains closed following shocking aircraft crash
FLIGHTS from Southend Airport remain grounded following a plane crash which saw a 'huge fireball' erupt on the runway. All emergency services responded to reports of a crashed 12-metre plane at the airport at around 4pm yesterday. Southend Airport has asked passengers due to fly today to "contact their airline for information and advice". We're now on WhatsApp! Join our new channel at to get all the latest breaking news and exclusive stories delivered straight to your phone. The Dutch Zeusch Aviation plane had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend. It was due to return to Lelystad on Sunday evening. A spokesperson for Southend Airport said: "Due to a serious incident today at Southend Airport, we regret to advise that the Airport is closed until further notice. Shock - A fireball engulfed the crashed plane (Image: UKNIP) "All flights to and from the Airport have been cancelled while Police, emergency services and air accident investigators are attending the incident. "We ask that any passengers due to travel tomorrow via Southend Airport contact their airline for information and advice. "Our thoughts are with those affected by today's events and all passengers impacted by this disruption. We will restart flight operations as soon as possible and will continue to update the public on developments." According to eyewitnesses, the pilots of the crashed plane waved at children shortly before the collision. Read more 'Huge fireball' seen near Southend Airport as public asked to keep away Live: Huge 'fireball' seen as 12-metre plane crashes at Southend Airport Emergency services confirm a small plane has crashed in incident at Southend Airport Residents went on to witness "a huge fire ball" and describe feeling "shaken up" by the incident. Transport Secretary, Hedi Alexander, yesterday said her 'thoughts are with all those involved' in the Southend Airport crash and that she is receiving 'regular updates'. In a post on X, the minister said: 'I'm aware of the tragic incident at Southend Airport this afternoon. Smoke - All emergency services responded to the crash (Image: UKNIP) 'My thoughts are with all those involved. 'The emergency services are on scene and are advising the public to avoid the area where possible. 'I am monitoring the situation closely and receiving regular updates.'
Khaleej Times
24-06-2025
- Khaleej Times
'Completely helpless': UAE expats scramble to return after sudden flight cancellations
[Editor's Note: Follow the KT live blog for live updates on the Israel-Iran conflict.] Some UAE residents who had travelled home for short vacations are now stranded due to sudden flight cancellations following temporary airspace closures in the region. Many are desperately trying to find alternative ways to return, as they are expected back at work this week. The travel chaos comes after a regional escalation between Israel and Iran and the US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. As part of retaliatory strikes, Iran targeted the US Al Udeid air base in Qatar. This led to the temporary closure of airspace across the Gulf, affecting flight routes and causing disruptions. Fahim Ammar, a sales executive at a logistics company in Dubai, had travelled to Mangalore earlier this month for his annual leave. He had booked his return ticket on Air India Express flight IX 831, scheduled to depart from Mangalore to Dubai at 5.35am on June 24. "I had been reading about the conflict and the airspace situation. But until last evening, my flight showed as on time," said Fahim. "After I read about escalating tensions in the Gulf countries and the closure of their airspace, I checked again, and it was cancelled." Fahim is scheduled to return to work on Wednesday; he is now scrambling to get back to Dubai. "I have contacted many travel agencies. I get the same response to wait two or three days because even they are uncertain about the situation," he added. Bags packed to begin a new chapter Ashif Shareef, a 28-year-old engineer residing in Sharjah, is facing a similar situation. He had travelled to his hometown in Kannur for his engagement. His return flight, IX 743, was scheduled from Kannur to Sharjah on June 24 at 4.10pm. "I had packed my bags and was ready to return and begin a new chapter of my life," Ashif said. "But when I checked the flight status in the morning, it was cancelled. I felt completely helpless." With no other flights available from Kannur, Ashif is now exploring alternative routes. "I might travel by road or train to Kochi, Calicut, or even Mangalore to catch a flight from there. But my travel agent informed me that the flights that are not cancelled, they are fully booked,' he said. Muhammed Ali, an electrician working with a facility management firm in Dubai, has been stuck in his hometown of Quetta, Pakistan, for the last two days. He said his return flight, PK-213 from Karachi to Dubai on June 24 at 4.30 pm, was the second flight to be cancelled in the last two days. "My employer has asked me to return as soon as possible because other electricians are also on leave," Ali said. "It's summer, and we get a lot of calls for AC repair and servicing. I understand the need for me to be back at work." Now, Ali is checking for direct flights from Quetta to Dubai. "Those flights still appear to operate. I really hope things settle down. I just want peace so we can all return to our normal lives," he said.
The Independent
09-06-2025
- The Independent
How the EU's biggest air passengers' rights shake-up in a generation will affect you
Flight cancellations, long delays and overbooking resulting in passengers being denied boarding: for decades, airlines could cause all kinds of problems without regard for travellers. In many parts of the world, they still can. But in 2004 the European Union announced Regulation 261 – which transformed air passengers' rights rules across Europe. It stipulated a duty of care for disrupted travellers and provided cash compensation for short-notice cancellations and overbooking. Three things happened over the following years: A series of increasingly eccentric European Court of Justice rulings distorted the original intentions of the rules and made impossible demands of Airlines Claims firms sprang up to extract cash from carriers for delayed flights Airlines realised they could ignore many of the rules, particularly on passenger care, with impunity The EU is now in the process of revising the regulation. The European Parliament and Council of the European Union have agreed fresh proposals that try to clear up some of the many anomalies in the law. But the proposals could yet be amended, and there is no clear indication when they will take effect. These are the key questions and answers. In the beginning … The EU said airlines must improve their attitude to passengers. Cancellations, delays and overbooking are common. Brussels decreed that airlines making short-notice cancellations should pay compensation – unless 'extraordinary circumstances' were responsible. The amount: between €250 and €600, depending on the length of the flight. The same applied to airlines denying boarding to passengers because they had sold too many tickets. Cash payouts comprise one half of the rules. The other half is to do with passenger care in the event of disruption – requiring meals and, if necessary, accommodation to be provided until the journey begins. Airlines must get the traveller to their destination as soon as possible, including on rival carriers if need be. What happened next? Many airlines ignored at least some of the rules, for example: Neglecting the first rule of the rights register, which is: tell people their rights Insisting passengers could only be rebooked on the carrier's own services Not providing accommodation for passengers stranded at airports At the same time, an industry of claims handlers sprang up – fighting for compensation in return for about one-third of the payout. A series of test cases came up with some surprising conclusions, such as that a three-hour delay constitutes the same degree of harm to a passenger as a cancellation, and therefore deserves identical compensation if the airline is responsible. This led to all kinds of passenger-unfriendly outcomes, such as airlines shuffling fleets to delay multiple flights by less than three hours rather than having one flight Another case concluded that if a pilot tragically died in service and a flight was delayed or cancelled, the carrier should pay compensation for failing to have spare crew everywhere it flew. What is proposed? Compensation The EU accepts that initial compensation rates were ridiculously high. Inflation has halved their value in the past two decades, but there is no attempt to keep up with general price rises. In fact, payouts will be cut for many passengers – except for those on the shortest flights. Flights up to 1,500km: Now €250, future €300 Flights 1,500-3,500km: Now €400, future €300 Flights over 3,500km: Now €600, future €500 The length of the delay will also rise before a pay-out is made: Flights up to 3,500km: now three hours, future four hours Flights over 3,500km: now four hours (with half- compensation after three hours), future six hours In a bid to increase the proportion of passengers claiming compensation, airlines must 'provide the passenger with a pre-filled form' to help them get the payout. Airlines' excuses 'Extraordinary circumstances' are excuses that allow airlines to dodge compensation payouts, though not the duty of care. They will be more clearly specified so that: Airlines will no longer be expected to have pilots and cabin crew stationed at all their destinations in case a crew member falls ill or dies Strikes among airline staff in protest against government decisions (eg on pensions or retirement age) no longer require compensation to be paid Other key changes The duty of care will be limited to three nights accommodation; cases that are longer than this are rare. No-show outbound should not lead to cancellation of whole itinerary – eg Air France passenger from Manchester to Paris who doesn't take the first leg should still be able to fly back. Airlines can claim redress for financial damage from third parties that trigger a duty of care – eg the Heathrow fire, which cost carriers up to £100 million. Greenland swerves compensation payouts due to 'particularly harsh meteorological conditions, and is characterised by very low population density and the remoteness of its populated places'. Will the UK follow suit? It will have to, or there will be some irrational outcomes – for example on an Amsterdam-London flight operated by an EU-registered aircraft, the rules would be different from a UK aircraft. Since easyJet has both kinds of planes, and deploys them on this route, the entitlement to compensation could hinge on the registration – causing yet more passenger confusion.
