The NATS outage: what you can claim, and what you cannot
Fixed compensation is unlikely where the air traffic control fault directly caused your disruption. Meals, hotels, reasonable transport and rerouting can still be owed. Here is the honest position.
Fixed compensation is unlikely for the direct outage
£220, £350 or £520: probably not payable
Air traffic management decisions can be extraordinary circumstances under UK261. If today's NATS failure directly caused your delay or cancellation, the airline is likely to have a strong defence to fixed compensation, provided it also took all reasonable measures.
That is not the end of your rights. It only affects the fixed compensation payment. The airline must still look after covered passengers during the disruption.
Your care and rerouting rights remain
Duty of care applies regardless of the cause
For a covered UK261 journey, the airline's care obligation can include reasonable food, refreshments, communications, hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and accommodation.
Meals and refreshments
Buy only what is reasonable for the length of the wait and keep itemised receipts.
Hotel accommodation
If an overnight stay becomes necessary and the airline does not arrange one, a reasonable room can be reclaimed.
Hotel transport
Reasonable transport between the airport and accommodation can form part of the care claim.
Refund or rerouting after cancellation
If the flight is cancelled, the passenger chooses a refund or rerouting. Do not choose a refund if you still want the airline to reroute you.
Later knock-on disruption still needs checking
The airline has to connect the extraordinary circumstance to your particular flight and show that reasonable measures could not avoid the disruption. A later cancellation caused by an airline's own recovery, crew or aircraft decisions may need closer review. Each flight must be assessed on its facts.
Save the airline's stated reason
Keep every email, app notification and airport announcement. The wording used today may matter if the airline later gives a different explanation.
What to do at the airport now
How MeClaims checks an outage case
Check the cause
We separate direct NATS disruption from later airline recovery decisions.
Sort the claim
Care expenses, rerouting disputes and fixed compensation are treated separately.
Prepare evidence
We organise notices, receipts, route details and the airline's response.
Questions passengers are asking today
Can I claim £520 for a NATS delay?
Probably not where the NATS fault directly caused the disruption and the airline took all reasonable measures. Care expenses and rerouting rights may still apply.
What if the airline cancelled my flight?
You can choose a refund or rerouting at the earliest opportunity. Care is owed while you wait for rerouting on a covered journey.
Can I reclaim food and a hotel?
Yes, reasonable costs can normally be reclaimed when the airline fails to provide required care. Keep itemised receipts and avoid luxury spending.
I accepted a voucher. Is my claim finished?
Not necessarily. A goodwill voucher does not automatically replace every statutory right. The wording you accepted matters. See our voucher guide.
My flight is disrupted tomorrow. Is that still extraordinary?
Possibly, but the airline must connect the outage to that flight and show reasonable measures. Later recovery failures should be checked individually.
Official sources
Have your flight checked
We will tell you whether the facts point to an expenses claim, a compensation claim, or neither. No upfront payment.
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