Latest news with #travelchaos
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘We're stranded in Croatia with a sick mother and 18-month-old baby after UK air traffic systems meltdown'
A family of nine which included an 18-month-old baby and a woman with a heart condition have been left stranded in Croatia after an air traffic systems failure caused widespread chaos across UK airports. Lauren Harding, 36, and her partner had been saving 'for years' for her brother's 40th celebration in Dubrovnik, which was going to be a chance for the wider family to come together on holiday. After travelling to the airport on Wednesday evening, they were left dismayed to receive an email cancelling their 10.30pm EasyJet flight - an hour after it had been due to depart. 'The most horrific part of this situation has been the fact that there was no representation from EasyJet at Dubrovnik airport to relay any information to us regarding the disruption and what this would entail for customers. 'We were unable to book a flight home until 2 August and were then informed by the app that there were no hotels available and we would need to try and find our own accommodation.' Adding to their distress, Mrs Harding's 66-year-old mother suffered a serious heart attack last January, and is now dependent on medication to stabilise her condition. 'As you can imagine, we are extremely upset and anxious,' she said. 'It's bad enough to be delayed, but it's the lack of help and information available that has made this whole ending a complete nightmare. We still have had zero contact and cannot seem to make contact with anyone either.' Due to the limited accommodation in the area, they have now managed to book a room at a three-star hotel, which does not have a cot for their baby. Despite emailing the CEO of EasyJet and their customer services, they are unsure if they will be able to reclaim their lost finances through the airline or through insurance. 'It has been so stressful and exhausting! We're still worried about trying to get medication for mum so not being able to talk to anyone from easyJet has been so unnerving,' she said. 'The children are so worried about the Nan and I know mum is trying to put on a brave face but it feels like she's in a dire situation and not knowing if this could potentially turn into a critical matter. It's horrifying.' The family are now due to return to London Gatwick on Saturday morning, but have now had to budget for an additional three nights. They are not the only passengers to be left disgruntled on Thursday, with Karyn Harris and her husband left waiting at Gatwick for over nine hours to board their flight to Arrecife. They had been due to depart at 6.10am for a summer getaway, but were left with little information throughout the morning, and only given £12 each for the delay from the airline. Another woman has been left devastated after being forced to miss a friend's wedding because her flight was cancelled on Thursday. Monica Clare, 68, from Brentford, west London, was onboard an Aer Lingus plane preparing to take off from Heathrow for Shannon, Ireland, when the problem began. She said the plane remained on the tarmac for about three hours before the captain announced his 'shift was going to finish' so the passengers would need to return to the terminal. The retired maintenance manager returned home after being told Aer Lingus had no available seats on flights which would enable her to attend her friend's wedding in Limerick on Friday. She said other routes, such as travelling to a port and taking a ferry, were impractical and too expensive after already paying out for flights. Ms Clare said: 'I'm absolutely numb. I'm so upset. I'm heartbroken. 'It's disgraceful. I think it's absolutely unbelievable in this day and age that something that went down for 20 minutes has caused havoc like that all over the country. Officials have said a 'radar-related issue' caused the air traffic control (ATC) failure that grounded flights across the UK on Wednesday. National Air Traffic Services (Nats) chief executive Martin Rolfe was summoned to speak with transport secretary Heidi Alexander on Thursday morning, a day after thousands of passengers were disrupted by the technical problem which forced the cancellation of more than 150 flights. A spokesperson for Nats said: 'This was a radar-related issue which was resolved by quickly switching to the back-up system during which time we reduced traffic to ensure safety. 'There is no evidence that this was cyber related.' EasyJet have been approached for comment.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
‘We're stranded in Croatia with a sick mother and 18-month-old baby after UK air traffic systems meltdown'
A family of nine which included an 18-month-old baby and a woman with a heart condition have been left stranded in Croatia after an air traffic systems failure caused widespread chaos across UK airports. Lauren Harding, 36, and her partner had been saving 'for years' for her brother's 40th celebration in Dubrovnik, which was going to be a chance for the wider family to come together on holiday. After travelling to the airport on Wednesday evening, they were left dismayed to receive an email cancelling their 10.30pm EasyJet flight - an hour after it had been due to depart. 'The most horrific part of this situation has been the fact that there was no representation from EasyJet at Dubrovnik airport to relay any information to us regarding the disruption and what this would entail for customers. 'We were unable to book a flight home until 2 August and were then informed by the app that there were no hotels available and we would need to try and find our own accommodation.' Adding to their distress, Mrs Harding's 66-year-old mother suffered a serious heart attack last January, and is now dependent on medication to stabilise her condition. 'As you can imagine, we are extremely upset and anxious,' she said. 'It's bad enough to be delayed, but it's the lack of help and information available that has made this whole ending a complete nightmare. We still have had zero contact and cannot seem to make contact with anyone either.' Due to the limited accommodation in the area, they have now managed to book a room at a three-star hotel, which does not have a cot for their baby. Despite emailing the CEO of EasyJet and their customer services, they are unsure if they will be able to reclaim their lost finances through the airline or through insurance. 'It has been so stressful and exhausting! We're still worried about trying to get medication for mum so not being able to talk to anyone from easyJet has been so unnerving,' she said. 'The children are so worried about the Nan and I know mum is trying to put on a brave face but it feels like she's in a dire situation and not knowing if this could potentially turn into a critical matter. It's horrifying.' The family are now due to return to London Gatwick on Saturday morning, but have now had to budget for an additional three nights. They are not the only passengers to be left disgruntled on Thursday, with Karyn Harris and her husband left waiting at Gatwick for over nine hours to board their flight to Arrecife. They had been due to depart at 6.10am for a summer getaway, but were left with little information throughout the morning, and only given £12 each for the delay from the airline. Another woman has been left devastated after being forced to miss a friend's wedding because her flight was cancelled on Thursday. Monica Clare, 68, from Brentford, west London, was onboard an Aer Lingus plane preparing to take off from Heathrow for Shannon, Ireland, when the problem began. She said the plane remained on the tarmac for about three hours before the captain announced his 'shift was going to finish' so the passengers would need to return to the terminal. The retired maintenance manager returned home after being told Aer Lingus had no available seats on flights which would enable her to attend her friend's wedding in Limerick on Friday. She said other routes, such as travelling to a port and taking a ferry, were impractical and too expensive after already paying out for flights. Ms Clare said: 'I'm absolutely numb. I'm so upset. I'm heartbroken. 'It's disgraceful. I think it's absolutely unbelievable in this day and age that something that went down for 20 minutes has caused havoc like that all over the country. Officials have said a 'radar-related issue' caused the air traffic control (ATC) failure that grounded flights across the UK on Wednesday. National Air Traffic Services (Nats) chief executive Martin Rolfe was summoned to speak with transport secretary Heidi Alexander on Thursday morning, a day after thousands of passengers were disrupted by the technical problem which forced the cancellation of more than 150 flights. A spokesperson for Nats said: 'This was a radar-related issue which was resolved by quickly switching to the back-up system during which time we reduced traffic to ensure safety. 'There is no evidence that this was cyber related.'
The Sun
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
You've got the eyes of a sniper if you can spot hidden pencil lead dropped on the carpet in just 7 seconds
TIME to put your visual skills to the test with this tricky brainteaser. If you can spot the hidden pencil lead in the image below, you've got a sharp eye. 3 This image, shared on Reddit, shows a carpet, which at first glance resembles a pebble street. Camouflaged by the colours and pattern of the carpet is a pencil lead. The repetitive design can trick your brain into scanning less carefully, making the pencil lead blend in - a phenomenon known as pattern fatigue. To improve your chances, try not stare at the whole image hoping the object will pop out. Instead, scan each part of the image carefully from left to right. You can also try zooming out, squinting or even flipping the image - all ways to help your brain see the carpet from a new perspective. If you're struggling to spot it, here's a hint: it's near the centre of the image. Answer The lead can be found just above the centre of the image. If you zoom in, you will spot the pencil lead diagonally up to the left. It is at about 11:00 if you picture a clock. Brits face DAYS of travel chaos after all flights grounded at UK airports - as tech glitch 'mystery' grows Those who are particularly sharp-eyed may have also spotted another hidden item. A staple lies across from the centre at roughly 14:00. Some users on Reddit even said they spotted the staple before the lead. 3 Spot five subtle differences hidden in a boy's bedroom 3 Another brainteaser features two images of a boy's bedroom. The second scene has five subtle differences to the first, which players can challenge themselves to spot in 15 seconds or less. You can find out the correct answer here. How can optical illusions and brainteasers help me? Engaging in activities like solving optical illusions and brainteasers can have many cognitive benefits as it can stimulate various brain regions. Some benefits include: Cognitive stimulation: Engaging in these activities challenges the brain, promoting mental agility and flexibility. Problem-solving skills: Regular practice enhances analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Memory improvement: These challenges often require memory recall and can contribute to better memory function. Creativity: They encourage thinking outside the box, fostering creativity and innovative thought processes. Focus and attention: Working on optical illusions and brainteasers requires concentration, contributing to improved focus.
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Stranded Brits in chaos after all flights leaving the UK were grounded
Thousands of holidaymakers are experiencing travel chaos after a 'technical issue' caused all flights out of the UK to be grounded. Several major airports were forced to halt operations due to a technical glitch at a National Air Traffic Services (NATS) control centre that left scores of planes stranded on the tarmac. NATS refused to rule out that hostile foreign action or hackers could be behind the incident, adding it was a 'radar-related issue' that was resolved by quickly switching to a back-up system. By the time the system was 'fully operational' again, thousands of passengers were already facing delays of up to five hours, while more than 150 flights to and from the UK were cancelled. Furious passengers were forced to put their holidays on hold after months of planning, while others feared missing out on their loved ones' weddings as a result of the unknown issue. Some desperate Brits are also now facing a nightmarish dilemma of sleeping in airports or splashing out hundreds of pounds on overnight accommodation after being 'dumped' by their airlines at home and overseas. One unhappy holidaymaker, who asked to remain anonymous, was among several Brits stranded in Croatia with his wife and two children on Wednesday night after easyJet cancelled their flight home. 'My wife and two children are now faced with sleeping in Dubrovnik airport along with several other families after easyJet cancelled our flight literally at the last minute,' the father-of-two told the Mail. 'They have been a disgrace and dumped dozens of families, many with young kids, with absolutely no support at all. No rearranged flight or accommodation - their staff made a swift exit after we were told to "download the easyJet app and use that". Needless to say, the app hasn't helped anyone.' He also echoed calls - made by Ryanair's chief operating officer Neal McMahon - for NATS' chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign following the outage. 'I never thought I'd agree with a Ryanair executive, but they are right about this one: NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe is utterly incompetent and needs to be fired - preferably out of a passenger jet engine,' the disgruntled Brit added. John Carr, a chiropodist from Stourbridge, was one of thousands of stranded Brits left in limbo after his flight from Heathrow to Norway was cancelled at the last minute. He and a group of friends were on their way to his brother's wedding, for which he is best man, when he found out after checking in that his flight was cancelled. The 35-year-old told said: 'I'm pretty gutted. We've got loads of stuff in the suitcases to set up the venue, because we're obviously flying to Norway. We've got the wedding rehearsal to do. It's quite stressful.' He said they did not receive any warning of the cancellation before it happened. We had no idea. There was nothing that the airport had said out on the speaker phones, or anything like that,' Mr Carr said. 'There was no warning from them or the airline that said it was cancelled. It's rubbish. There's nothing we can do. We don't know what we're going to do tonight in terms of accommodation. We have put our cars in special car compounds for the next six days.' His friend James Hedges, also from Stourbridge, said the group was in the departures lounge when they were told the flight was cancelled. 'We'd already checked in and gone through the security checks,' he said. Meanwhile Asha, 18, from Manchester, said the chaos had ruined her first holiday interrailing. She told the BBC her 3.10pm easyJet flight to Amsterdam had actually departed and was in the air for 50 minutes – before turning around. Hours later, she said she was still 'stuck' on the tarmac at the city's airport. Another passenger, Jane Ainsworth, told the Daily Mail her flight from Kos back to Birmingham had been forced to land in Brussels. Monica Clare, 68, from London, also had her hopes of watching her loved one walk down the isle thrown into disarray after her Aer Lingus flight from Heathrow to the Republic of Ireland was cancelled. She was flying out to attend the wedding in Limerick at 2.40pm today, but was stranded on the runway for almost three hours, after which passengers were told the flight was cancelled. 'The wedding is in Limerick on Friday but a hotel and hire car are awaiting us tonight, At 5.30pm the captain told us their shift had finished so Aer Lingus HQ in Dublin cancelled the flight,' she told The Telegraph. 'We were told to wait for a phone update about a flight tomorrow but others were told all flights tomorrow are already full. It's totally awful. We probably have to go home and wait to see when the next available flight is. It looks like we're missing the wedding.' Durand Meachem, 49, from North Carolina, was also expecting to fly out of Heathrow on Wednesday with his partner and two daughters to celebrate his 50th birthday. They had hoped to embark continue enjoying a 'trip of a lifetime', encompassing New York, London, Dubai and Thailand, before being caught up in the travel chaos. Chris Birch and his family faced similar turmoil after their flight out to attend a wedding was cancelled due to a shortage of cabin crew. 'At Gatwick for 5 hours for a delayed flight due to crew not being available. Now the flight and holiday is cancelled,' he wrote on X. 'We have been waiting another hour to collect luggage, that has still not appeared. No prams or escalators so parents carrying babies throughout. Our plane was on the tarmac, and luggage on board, we were simply waiting on a crew. We are going to a wedding and we were not given the option of a re-route. This breaks UK law.' Cockpit crews across the country were told the NATS centre in Swanwick, Southampton, had experienced a 'radar failure' at 2.30pm. 'We would appreciate your patience whilst we work through this unforeseen disruption,' they were told, according to The Sun. By 4.43pm, NATS said the issue was resolved but knock-delays will continue, with passengers advised to check with their airline. A statement read: 'Our engineers have now restored the system that was affected this afternoon. 'We are in the process of resuming normal operations in the London area. We continue to work closely with airline and airport customers to minimise disruption.' While the issue was ongoing, British Airways (BA) said the problem was 'affecting the vast majority of our flights', while Birmingham airport said 'departing flights from many UK airports have been suspended'. In an update, BA later said that the number of its inbound and outbound flights at Heathrow is restricted to a total of 32 per hour until 7.15pm before the flow rate returns to the usual level of 45 per hour. A total of 84 departures across all UK airports were cancelled as a result of the incident, while 71 arrivals into Britain were also scrapped, aviation analytics firm Cirium said at 10pm last night. Consumer organisation Which? advised that passengers who have suffered delays or cancellations could have rights to food or a hotel stay. 'If your flight is cancelled or delayed, you're unlikely to be owed compensation by the airline as the technical issue is considered an 'extraordinary circumstance' and out of the airline's control,' its deputy editor Naomi Leach said. 'However, you do have a right to food or a hotel stay depending on the length of the delay but be sure you keep the receipts as you will need to claim this back from the airline.' Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said continued disruption was expected following the restoration of Nats' systems and urged passengers to check with individual airports for advice. A spokesman from the Department for Transport said: 'While passengers should continue to check with individual airports for advice, Nats have confirmed their systems are now fully operational and flights are returning to normal. 'We are working closely with Nats to understand the cause of the technical issue and the implications for the resilience systems in place.' The Mail has contacted easyJet for comment.
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Up to a million passengers delayed by UK airport chaos may NOT get compensation - thanks to little-known loophole
Around a million furious passengers may not be entitled to compensation amid an air traffic control failure which grounded flights across the UK yesterday. More than 150 flights were cancelled across the country on Wednesday for around an hour amid a technical glitch at air traffic control (ATC) provider NATS' control centre in Swanick, Hampshire, which is understood to have been caused by a 'radar failure'. Around 3,000 planes were scheduled to depart yesterday, with a similar number also due to arrive, meaning a total of 1.1 million seats were potentially impacted by delays and cancellations, according to aviation data company, Cirium. NATS refused to rule out that hostile foreign action or hackers could be behind the incident, adding it was a 'radar-related issue' that was resolved by quickly switching to a back-up system. However, enraged passengers were forced to put their holidays on hold after months of planning, while others feared missing out on their loved ones' weddings as a result of the unknown issue. The airport chaos came at the height of the summer holiday season, with the busiest day for commercial flights expected to be this Friday, as Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said 'continued disruption is expected'. Now inconvenienced travellers who were left stranded are unlikely to receive compensation according to Naomi Leach of Which? Travel, however they may be entitled to some benefits. If your flight was cancelled or delayed you are 'unlikely' to be given compensation as a technical issue is considered to be an 'extraordinary circumstance' and a factor out of the airline's control, she said. 'However, you do have a right to food or a hotel stay depending on the length of the delay, but be sure you keep the receipts as you will need to claim this back from the airline. 'If you are due to travel today or tomorrow, check the advice from your airport or tour operator, or airline apps and airport social media feeds, for the most up-to-date advice.' The Citizen's Advice Bureau echoed a similar message on its website, saying passengers would be unlikely to receive a payout if delays were caused by problems out of the airlines control, such as security risks or bad weather. Amid the chaos, some desperate Brits faced a nightmarish dilemma of sleeping in airports or splashing out hundreds of pounds on overnight accommodation after being 'dumped' by their airlines at home and overseas. One unhappy holidaymaker, who asked to remain anonymous, was among several Brits stranded in Croatia with his wife and two children on Wednesday night after easyJet cancelled their flight home. 'My wife and two children are now faced with sleeping in Dubrovnik airport along with several other families after easyJet cancelled our flight literally at the last minute,' the father-of-two told the Mail. John Carr, a chiropodist from Stourbridge, was on his way to Norway with a group of friends to help set up his brother's wedding, for which he is best man, when he found out after checking in that his flight was cancelled. The 35-year-old said: 'I'm pretty gutted. We've got loads of stuff in the suitcases to set up the venue, because we're obviously flying to Norway. We've got the wedding rehearsal to do. It's quite stressful.' He said they did not receive any warning of the cancellation before it happened. 'There was nothing that the airport had said out on the speaker phones, or anything like that. There was no warning from them or the airline that said it was cancelled. It's rubbish. There's nothing we can do. 'We don't know what we're going to do tonight in terms of accommodation. We have put our cars in special car compounds for the next six days.' 'They have been a disgrace and dumped dozens of families, many with young kids, with absolutely no support at all. 'No rearranged flight or accommodation - their staff made a swift exit after we were told to 'download the easyJet app and use that'. Needless to say, the app hasn't helped anyone.' Meanwhile Asha, 18, from Manchester, said the chaos had ruined her first holiday interrailing. She told the BBC her 3.10pm easyJet flight to Amsterdam had actually departed and was in the air for 50 minutes – before turning around. Hours later, she said she was still 'stuck' on the tarmac at the city's airport. Another passenger, Jane Ainsworth, told the Daily Mail her flight from Kos back to Birmingham had been forced to land in Brussels. Monica Clare, 68, from London, also had her hopes of watching her loved one walk down the isle thrown into disarray after her Aer Lingus flight from Heathrow to the Republic of Ireland was cancelled. She was flying out to attend the wedding in Limerick at 2.40pm today, but was stranded on the runway for almost three hours, after which passengers were told the flight was cancelled. Cockpit crews across the country were told the NATS centre in Swanwick, Southampton, had experienced a 'radar failure' at 2.30pm. 'We would appreciate your patience whilst we work through this unforeseen disruption,' they were told, according to The Sun. By 4.43pm, NATS said the issue was resolved but knock-delays will continue, with passengers advised to check with their airline. A statement read: 'Our engineers have now restored the system that was affected this afternoon. 'We are in the process of resuming normal operations in the London area. We continue to work closely with airline and airport customers to minimise disruption.' While the issue was ongoing, British Airways (BA) said the problem was 'affecting the vast majority of our flights', while Birmingham airport said 'departing flights from many UK airports have been suspended'. In an update, BA later said that the number of its inbound and outbound flights at Heathrow is restricted to a total of 32 per hour until 7.15pm before the flow rate returns to the usual level of 45 per hour. A total of 84 departures across all UK airports were cancelled as a result of the incident, while 71 arrivals into Britain were also scrapped, aviation analytics firm Cirium said at 10pm last night. Now airline chiefs have demanded answers from NATS, with easyJet's chief operating officer David Morgan branding the glitch 'extremely disappointing'. 'While our priority today is supporting our customers, we will want to understand from Nats what steps they are taking to ensure issues don't continue,' he said yesterday. Ryanair called for Nats' chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign in the wake of the fault, claiming 'no lessons have been learnt' since the August 2023 system outage. The airline's chief operating officer Neal McMahon said: 'It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption due to Martin Rolfe's continued mismanagement of NATS. 'Yet another ATC system failure has resulted in the closure of UK airspace meaning thousands of passengers travel plans have been disrupted. 'It is clear that no lessons have been learnt since the Aug'23 NATS system outage and passengers continue to suffer as a result of Martin Rolfe's incompetence.' It comes after a similar incident on August 28 2023 when Nats suffered a technical glitch while processing a flight plan sparking disruption for over 700,000 passengers. The Department for Transport (DfT) noted that the Transport Secretary does not have any direct control over Nats and has no powers on staffing decisions. The Liberal Democrats called for a full investigation into the glitch, with the party's leader Sir Ed Davey dubbing the incident 'utterly unacceptable'. He said: 'It is utterly unacceptable that after a major disruption just two years ago, air traffic control has once again been hit by a technical fault. 'The Government should launch an urgent investigation to ensure the system is fit for purpose, including ruling out hostile action as a cause.' A Department for Transport spokesman said: 'While passengers should continue to check with individual airports for advice, Nats have confirmed their systems are now fully operational and flights are returning to normal.' A National Air Traffic Service spokesman told The Telegraph: 'Our engineers have now restored the system that was affected this afternoon. We are in the process of resuming normal operations in the London area. 'We continue to work closely with airline and airport customers to minimise disruption. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.'
