EasyJet have been forced to ground 20 more flights after yesterday's IT and software failure caused 200 flight cancellations. The airline company has faced disruptions leading to Brits being stuck abroad, or in UK airports including Gatwick and Stansted. The flight business released a statement on Thursday.
It reads : "easyJet can confirm that the earlier IT systems issues have now been rectified. Unfortunately, they resulted in some cancellations earlier today and while we expect to operate most of our remaining flying programme some may still be subject to some disruption in the coming hours."
Later that day, easyJet went on to tweet an apology and redirect customers to check the current status of their flights: "We apologise to all customers whose flights have been affected by IT system issues.
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Which easyJet flights were cancelled?
EasyJet initially announced that the flights affected were those set to fly off between the hours of 13:00 and 15:00 BST on Thursday May 26. However, the disruption has lasted for longer leading into Friday May 27 today.
14 flights from Gatwick Airport have been cancelled along with seven arrivals and seven departures being cancelled at both Edinburgh and Luton airports. Nine flights from Manchester Airport have also been disrupted.
From Friday, around 3,000 passengers have been left stranded due to short notice cancellations after the issues were thought to be solved. Ongoing disruptions have led to 20 more flights being grounded today, including:
- Seven round-trips from Gatwick Airport going to locations such as Palma de Mallorca and Milan
- Domestic flights connecting Bristol to Newcastle and Edinburgh
- Other affected destinations of Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, Hamburg, Pisa, and Rome
Other flights suffered long delays, which included Gatwick Airport departures to Athens and Corfu. Manchester Airport to Malta also ran over two hours late.
You can check the status of your flight by using the easyJet flight tracker.
An easyJet spokesman told the Independent : "Yesterday we operated almost 1,500 flights network wide. Around 200 were impacted by an IT systems issue which was rectified within a couple of hours.
"Today we plan to operate around 1,700 flights but unfortunately a small number have been impacted this morning. Customers have been notified and provided with options to rebook or receive a refund."
What do I do if my flight is cancelled?
You are entitled to cancellation compensation of £200, or £350 depending on how far your flight distance would have been. If it is above 1,500km then you are entitled to £350, but you can also request a full refund.
You can also be flown to your destination on the same day if seats are available on any other relevant flights - this is the rebooking option for free. This includes alternative airlines, even at easyJet's expense, as per your entitlement under European's air passengers rights rules.
The airline can also expense for hotels and meals whilst you wait to travel. This is usually provided for overnight accommodation for late fliers.
