What are my rights when a flight is delayed?

Hundreds of flights have been delayed or cancelled in the UK today (Tuesday, 8 September) as a result of an issue in air traffic control. Nats, which provides air traffic control services to 15 airports, reported a "technical issue" earlier this afternoon. In a statement, a spokesperson for the organisation said: "Our engineers are on site and we will provide an update as soon as we can. We apologise for the delay this will cause to journeys, passengers should check with their airline on the status of their flight." As of 4.30pm, 72 flights have been delayed at Manchester Airport, while four have been cancelled. Birmingham Airport, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, London Heathrow and London Gatwick have also been affected. In Scotland, more than half (58 per cent) of the scheduled flights have been delayed at Edinburgh Airport, according to FlightRadar24. Passengers all over the UK have been advised to check the latest flight information with their airlines. In light of the chaos on the country's runways, the Press Association (PA) has clarified several key questions on assistance and compensation when a flight is delayed. Flights operated by an airline departing from a UK airport, flights operated by a UK or EU airline arriving at a UK airport, or flights operated by a UK airline arriving at an EU airport. It depends on the distance of the flight. A reasonable amount of food and drink (often via vouchers), a means for you to communicate (often by refunding the cost of phone calls) and accommodation and transfers if an overnight stay is required. Airlines often fail to provide this assistance during major disruption because of being overwhelmed by requests and a shortage of available rooms in local hotels. In this scenario, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says passengers can organise their own assistance and claim the costs back from the airline by submitting receipts. Airlines are unlikely to reimburse you for that. The CAA advises passengers not to "spend more than is reasonable". Until your flight takes off or you accept a refund after deciding not to travel. If a flight is cancelled, airlines are required to get you to your destination if you still want to travel. Most will book you onto another of their flights, but you may be entitled to travel with another airline or by an alternative mode of transport if it will get you to your destination significantly sooner. Passengers doing this are often required to purchase their own tickets and submit a claim to their original airline for reimbursement. You are entitled to a refund if you have been delayed by more than five hours. Airlines may be liable for compensation if the reason for a delay is deemed within their control, such as a fault with the aircraft or pilot sickness. Causes of disruption classed as outside their control include severe weather, air traffic control control restrictions and security alerts. In the case of today's disruptions, passengers are unlikely to be owed compensation as the technical issue is considered an "extraordinary circumstance" and out of the airline's control. You are entitled to a refund or a replacement flight, and the same assistance as if your flight was delayed. You can if the reason is deemed within the airline's control, you received no more than 14 days' notice and depending on the timings of a new flight offered. Again, today'ss events are unlikely to fall within this category.