Hundreds of British tourists have been impacted by flight cancellations and delays after The National Air Traffic Control service suffered a “technical fault” earlier today.

Although the issue has now been fixed, delays and cancellations are expected to continue today and travel expert Simon Calder has warned there could be knock-on effects the rest of the week.

Ryanair has warned passengers they could face cancellations and delays while easyJet and British Airways have also issued warnings.

According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, more than 500 flights in and out of the UK have been cancelled.

But what are British passengers’ rights if their flight is cancelled or delayed?

READ MORE Ryanair issues urgent travel warning of ‘cancellations’

If my flight is cancelled can I get a refund?

If a flight is covered by UK law, airlines must offer passengers the choice of a refund or an alternative flight.

If another airline is flying to the same destination, passengers have a right to be booked on that flight.

According to ABTA, passengers can get a refund back for any part of their ticket they haven’t used. For example, if the outbound flight on a return ticket is cancelled, passengers can get the full cost of the return ticket back.

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Will I be offered food and accommodation?

If passengers are stuck abroad or at an airport, airlines should provide them with assistance until they are able to fly.

This could include a reasonable amount of food and drink, free accommodation if passengers have to stay overnight and transport to and from the accommodation.

If the airline can’t provide assistance, passengers can buy things themselves and claim the cost back later. The Civil Aviation Authority advises travellers to keep all receipts

What if the flight is delayed?

Passengers are entitled to assistance if their flight is delayed by more than two hours. In some cases, passengers can claim compensation if their flight arrives more than three hours late.

Can I claim compensation?

Passengers are not entitled to compensation if the disruption is due to ‘extraordinary circumstances’ outside the airline’s control.

Tourists can check with their airline if they believe they are entitled to compensation for a flight delay or cancellation.

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