Airlines have expressed anger and warned of higher fares as the UK's aviation regulator raised air traffic control charges. These costs, borne by airlines, follow an air traffic control disruption in the UK in August, causing significant flight delays and stranding passengers.
The fee is set to increase from £47 to £64 per flight until 2027, amounting to approximately 43p more per passenger. Airlines argue that such increases are unwarranted, given the recent disruptions. Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK, called the charge hike "another blow to passengers who faced issues this summer, including the August Nats IT failure."
The group represents major carriers like British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic, and Tui, stating that passengers will ultimately bear the cost of these increases. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary expressed astonishment at the illogical decision and called for its reversal.
In August, a system failure at the National Air Traffic Services (Nats) led to the cancellation of approximately 2,000 flights across UK airports, resulting in stranded passengers. Amid the chaos, some individuals were forced to sleep on airport floors or makeshift beds, while others rushed to rebook their flights.