Air traffic control chaos: Hundreds of passengers left ‘stranded’ in ‘absolutely shocking’ conditions
by 0 
by 0 Hundreds of Ryanair passengers have been left “stranded” on a Spanish island after a technical fault affected air traffic control.
They were among thousands of passengers stuck abroad when their flights were cancelled as a UK air traffic control failure meant flight plans had to be input manually by controllers.
Marco McCool told Sky News around 300 Ryanair passengers returning from Gran Canaria to Edinburgh had been stranded in the airport in “absolutely shocking” conditions with no food, no accommodation and “not enough” water.
He said the holidaymakers were initially told their flight was delayed before they arrived at the gate only to learn it had been cancelled because the cabin crew were over their recommended hours.
The abandoned travellers were then told the next direct flight would be at least another week away and there was “zero chance” of an emergency flight.
The cancelled flight later returned to Edinburgh without any passengers, he claimed.
Impact could last for days – live updates
Mr McCool, a 19-year-old student, said the stranded passengers were having to stay in the airport while they waited for more information because they were unable to book accommodation.
He described children sleeping on the hard floor and using their suitcases as pillows while cockroaches crawled around nearby.
Mr McCool said the passengers were initially given a crate of water bottles – but not enough for everyone – and have not been provided with food or vouchers.
He described how he and his girlfriend were “sitting on a dirty floor with cockroaches and no food”.
Read more:
What we know about system failure and how it’s affecting flights
‘We have literally just been left to fend for ourselves’
Mr McCool said the airline had told the passengers they could book accommodation and then claim the money back, but all hotels and Airbnb accommodation had already been booked up.
Passengers have been told they could book on other airlines, but he said “flights have skyrocketed” and any route to the UK involves several connections, with some taking up to 48 hours.
“I don’t believe they can’t do another flight,” Mr McCool said. “We have been stranded with no options. We are students so we have not got the kind of money to book another flight.
“We have literally just been left to fend for ourselves.”
Mr McCool said as a last resort they had to book their own flights to Tenerife, paying £200 for a 40-minute flight, and will still not be able to travel back to Edinburgh until Friday.
Asked if Ryanair had offered compensation, he said: “We have got no idea, we keep getting told different things.
“One minute we will get compensation for the lot if we save every one of our receipts, but we have also been told we will only get compensation for one night of accommodation and one day’s worth of food. It honestly does not make sense.”
What are Ryanair passengers’ rights?
Sky News has contacted Ryanair for comment.
The airline’s compensation policy states it is entitled to refuse compensation when it can prove the cancellation is “caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken by Ryanair”.
Among the examples it gives is “failure or delay of air traffic control facilities”.
The policy says passengers whose flights are cancelled or delayed by more than two hours are entitled to meals and refreshment vouchers and two telephone calls, telex or fax messages or e-mails. If the new time of departure is at least a day after the original then they are entitled to hotel accommodation when a stay of one or more nights becomes necessary and transport between the airport and place of accommodation.
By Monday afternoon 232 flights departing UK airports had been cancelled along with 271 arriving flights, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. It equated to about 8% of all expected departures and 9% of expected arrivals, Cirium added.
Airlines warn of ‘significant delays’
Major airlines such as Tui and BA have warned of “significant delays” amid changes to schedules.
Heathrow Airport – Britain’s busiest – said its services will “remain significantly disrupted” on Tuesday and urged passengers to contact their airline before travelling to the airport.
Gatwick said it plans to operate a normal schedule but advised passengers to “check the status of their flight with the airline before travelling to the airport”.
