Edinburgh Airport Flights Halted: What happens if your flight is delayed or cancelled - including compensation

Travellers at Edinburgh Airport, which welcomes around 15 million passengers a year, were left wondering if they would get to their destination on Friday morning (December 5).

Read more: Edinburgh Airport LIVE: Flights begin to resume after IT outage but knock-on disruption continues

Inbound flights were diverted to other airports, while some fully-boarded planes were left on the tarmac for over two hours.

The issue was resolved by around 10.40pm but knock-on delays are expected throughout the day.

Here’s what happens if your flight is impacted.

What happens if my flight is delayed?

Under UK law an airline must provide you with care and assistance if your flight is “significantly” delayed - that means a reasonable amount of food and drink (usually vouchers to be used in the airport are provided), overnight accommodation if you are delayed until the next day, transport to and from the hotel (or your home if you want to return there), and refunds for the cost of any calls you need to make due to the delay.

A “significant delay” means more than two hours for short-haul (less than 1,500km), more than three hours for mid-haul (1,500km-3,500km) and more than four hours for long-haul (over 3,500km).

Can I claim further compensation from my airline?

In certain circumstances airlines must pay compensation if your flight arrrives more than three hours late (£220 for short-haul, £350 for medium-haul, and up to £520 for long-haul).

However this is only if the cause of the delay is the airline’s fault. There is no compensation payable if the cause is outwith its control - such as bad weather, airport worker strikes, or Edinburgh Airport’s IT problems.

What happens if my flight is cancelled?

If your flight is cancelled then your airline must still get you to your destination - either by reorganising flights or asking you to do so and claiming back your expenses. If it’s the latter then you must keep your costs down (no booking onto business class if your original flights were for standard seats) and keep all your receipts. It makes no difference whether the cause of the cancellation was the airline’s fault or not.

What happens if I miss a connecting flight due to a delay?

If a delay means that you miss a connecting flight then, as long as both flights were booked under a single ticket, then the airline must rebook you on the next available flight to your final destination at no extra cost. If there are no flights available they must fly you back to your original departure airport.

If you have booked two separate flights with either the same or different airlines then you will lose your money and have to pay for a return flight, or onward travel, yourself.

Can I cancel my flight?

If your flight has been delayed for more than five hours you can cancel it and claim a full refund.

What if my flight has been diverted?

If your flight is diverted to a different airport then the airline must provide transport to where you were originally meant to fly to.

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