British Airways Accused of Cutting Phone Lines During Flight Chaos

British Airways has faced accusations of disabling its customer service phone lines during recent air traffic control chaos that grounded thousands of travellers across the UK. Passengers reported being unable to reach the airline while stranded at airports following mass flight cancellations and delays.

The widespread disruption occurred after a major technical fault with Nats, the UK's air traffic control provider, led to more than 2,000 flights being cancelled or delayed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Travellers described experiencing hours-long waits on the phone, with some claiming the airline's phone lines were useless and simply disconnected after extended hold times. Others reported that customer service at the airport was "nil."

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Charlie Adlard, a co-creator of The Walking Dead comic book series, was among those affected. He stated that due to a lack of information and system failures, he believed British Airways had switched off its customer service number. Mr Adlard eventually abandoned his planned trip to Palermo, Sicily.

Airline Response

British Airways has not provided a direct comment on the specific accusations that its customer service phone lines were shut down during the incident. However, a spokesperson for the airline acknowledged the challenging and frustrating experience for customers. They expressed apologies for the difficulties endured due to an issue entirely outside the airline's control.

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The spokesperson further stated that the scale and complexity of managing the aftermath of such an event are severe. They highlighted that disruption events like this demonstrate the significant impact on customers when a part of the aviation system fails. British Airways has long advocated for improved resilience in aviation and believes the issues raised by the system failure require urgent attention. The airline stated that its customers and colleagues are tired of repeated issues and that this situation needs to be addressed promptly. The airline committed to continuing efforts to ensure every affected customer reaches their destination in the coming days.