Stormy weather delays more than 600 flights at Heathrow and Gatwick
Storms over southern England delayed more than 600 Heathrow and Gatwick flights, with waits of up to six hours and dozens more cancellations.
More than 600 flights were delayed at Heathrow and Gatwick as thunderstorms over southern England forced temporary air-traffic restrictions and cut the number of arrivals and departures. FlightAware recorded about 340 delays at Heathrow and about 320 at Gatwick, with some passengers waiting up to six hours; the UK air traffic control service said the disruption would continue for the rest of the day. One passenger said on social media that her daughter had been stuck on an easyJet plane at Gatwick for four hours before the flight was cancelled.
Under UK Civil Aviation Authority guidance, airlines must provide care and assistance during delays or cancellations, including food and drink, communication help, and overnight hotel and transport if needed. If a delay runs past five hours, passengers can choose not to travel and take a refund, while compensation depends on the cause of the disruption and whether the airline was at fault. Weather and air-traffic restrictions are treated as extraordinary circumstances, which can remove eligibility for fixed compensation even though care still has to be provided.
Care starts after four hours on flights over 3,500 kilometers, a category that includes London to New York, so a delay at Heathrow or Gatwick can quickly turn into a missed connection for U.S.-bound travelers and others on long-haul routes. easyJet said thunderstorms in the south of the UK had restricted the number of arrivals and departures, forcing some pre-emptive cancellations and rebooking options, refunds, hotel accommodation and meals where required.
AirHelp counted 772 disrupted flights across Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh and Newcastle on June 25, after 432 delays and 21 cancellations hit Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester on June 22. Warmer air holds more moisture and fuels stronger thunderstorms, the Met Office said.
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