Families across the UK will be enjoying a holiday abroad in the coming days
Two flights that were scheduled to depart from Manchester Airport today have been cancelled. Owing to the ongoing situation in the Middle East and resulting airspace closures, a small number of flights at Manchester Airport have been affected since the US-Israel war with Iran started on February 28.
As tensions in the Middle East continue, Manchester Airport warned: “Passengers are strongly advised to check directly with their airline for the latest flight information before travelling to the airport.” However, flights can be cancelled for a number of reasons, this includes dangerous weather conditions and technical faults.
If your flight is affected, you should check your airline’s status page and wait for rebooking or refund options before making changes. One of the flights cancelled today is a Kuwait Airways flight.
Kuwait Airways has suspended all flights indefinitely after drone strikes caused damage to Kuwait International Airport (KWI), including Terminal 1, the runway, and fuel depots.
The airport closure is a physical infrastructure issue, not just an airspace restriction, and repairs are expected to take weeks. Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended commercial flights with no confirmed reopening date, and operations will resume only after repairs, safety inspections, and clearance of Kuwait’s airspace.
Details about the two cancelled departure flights from Manchester Airport are below. We have also rounded up the arriving flights which have been cancelled today.
Departures
6.05am – Athens (ATH), EZY2059, easyJet, T2
1pm – Kuwait (KWI), KU114, Kuwait Airways, T2
Arrivals
8.15am – New York -JFK (JFK), VS128, Virgin Atlantic Airways, T2
11.30am – Kuwait (KWI), KU113, Kuwait Airways, T2
2.50pm, Athens (ATH), EZY2060, easyJet, T2
The rights of passengers facing disruption vary depending on the departure location and the airline which was due to operate the disrupted flight. In many cases passengers will be protected by rights which are set out in UK and European legislation.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) advises all passengers to check Foreign Office travel advice and confirm their flight status with their airline ahead of travelling to the airport. Different rights apply if your airline is not a UK or EU carrier. You should speak to your airline or check its website for more information about your rights.
All flights departing from the UK are covered by UK passenger rights legislation. This means that if your flight is cancelled your airline is required by law to get you to your destination or provide you with a refund if you no longer wish to travel.
Additionally, if a flight is cancelled less than 14 days before you are due to depart, the airline should give you compensation based on the length of the journey.
However, these rights are only applicable if the delay or cancellation is the fault of the airline. As the ongoing Middle East conflict could be considered an “extraordinary circumstance”, the CAA states that compensation is highly unlikely. Instead, passengers will need to look into getting a refund or rebooking.
