“You’ve left everyone here stranded. You could’ve cancelled this flight hours ago which would’ve given many vulnerable people here half a chance,” one passenger wrote on X
British Airways planes at Heathrow Airport(Image: Sky)
British Airways has been accused of leaving passengers stranded in Italy after thousands of flights were cancelled across the UK.
Tens of thousands of people were impacted on Tuesday after a technical issue by National Air Traffic Services (Nats) grounded flights.
Among the carriers affected by the air traffic control issue was British Airways (BA) – with a number of passengers taking to social media to complain about the situation.
Among them was Simon Weeks, who said he, along with others, had been left stranded in Italy for hours without any update from the airline.
Sharing a letter he received from BA late in the evening, the Brit claimed “all hotels” in the port city of Brindisi were now “fully booked”.
He added: “You’ve left everyone here stranded. You could’ve cancelled this flight hours ago which would’ve given many vulnerable people here half a chance.”
BA said it was forced to cancel or divert more than 100 flights on Tuesday, which had impacted “tens of thousands of customers”.
Passengers received a letter from the carrier apologising for the inconvenience, but were left to find a place to sleep themselves.
The statement read: “We’re sorry that your flight has been delayed overnight… We don’t underestimate the inconvenience this will cause.”
It continued: “We’re sorry, but we’re unable to provide you with accommodation, and you need to make your own arrangements.”
“You can submit a claim to us with your receipts and we will reimburse reasonable accommodation costs.”
The disruptions, expected to continue into Wednesday, impacted travel at airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is set to speak with Nats’ chief executive officer Martin Rolfe on Wednesday before she addresses MPs in the Commons for the second reading of the Civil Aviation Bill.
Rolfe has said he “always accept(s) full responsibility” when asked if he was considering his position after the incident.
He told Sky News: “I am the CEO of a piece of critical infrastructure, so it is my job to take responsibility for that.
“What I absolutely take responsibility for is keeping people safe and delivering the best service we possibly can on a day like today.
“You will understand my focus is entirely about how we actually resolve this issue, get things back to normal, help our airlines, our airport customers and the travelling public.”