Passengers across England faced fresh travel disruption on Friday 13 February 2026, as airports in London and Birmingham reported a wave of delays and a series of flight cancellations affecting key carriers including British Airways, easyJet, United Airlines, Vueling Airlines and several smaller operators. The latest disruption unfolded at the start of the busy February half term getaway, compounding an already pressured European aviation network and leaving many holidaymakers and business travellers grappling with long queues, last minute schedule changes and uncertain arrival times.
Fresh Wave of Disruption Hits London and Birmingham Hubs
Data from flight tracking and disruption monitoring services on Friday indicated that London’s major airports and Birmingham Airport together registered dozens of outright cancellations and hundreds of delays across short and long haul routes. While London Heathrow and London Gatwick handled the largest volume of impacted flights, Birmingham, which is preparing for its busiest February half term on record, also reported a cluster of delayed departures and arrivals as the morning and afternoon schedules slipped behind.
British Airways, easyJet and Vueling accounted for a significant share of the disruption, reflecting their strong presence at London’s airports, particularly Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. United Airlines and other transatlantic carriers were also affected, with knock on delays on services linking London to key hubs in the United States. For passengers, this translated into boarding gate changes, rolling departure times and, in some cases, cancellations that required rebooking or overnight stays.
While the bulk of cancellations on Friday were concentrated at the London hubs, Birmingham’s role as a fast growing regional gateway meant that even a smaller number of affected flights had an outsized impact on passengers. With the airport forecasting more than 140,000 travellers over the half term period and reporting record traffic in January, any operational strain quickly fed through to longer queues at check in, security and baggage reclaim.
Multiple Causes from Weather to Congested European Skies
Friday’s disruption did not have a single trigger, but instead reflected a convergence of factors that have become familiar to frequent flyers. Across parts of northern England, snow and icy conditions affected ground operations, with Leeds Bradford Airport among those reporting aircraft stranded on stands and de icing delays that rippled through the national air traffic system. Even where weather remained flyable, congestion, flow restrictions and knock on delays from earlier sectors left airlines struggling to keep aircraft and crews in the right place.
Across Europe as a whole, disruption levels remained elevated. Industry analysts reported more than a thousand delayed flights and dozens of cancellations at major continental hubs including Madrid, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Copenhagen and Rome on the same day. London Heathrow featured among the affected airports, highlighting how issues upstream on European routes can cascade into Britain’s departure and arrival banks, particularly for carriers with dense connecting networks.
The wider backdrop is one of a system operating near capacity. Air traffic control restrictions in sections of European airspace, staffing challenges at some control centres and the lingering effects of recent strikes and technical glitches have all reduced the margin for error. In such an environment, even localised weather events or an equipment failure at a single airport can quickly translate into extensive delays and short notice cancellations on far flung routes.
Strain on Airlines Despite Operational Investments
Airlines insist they are investing heavily to improve resilience, yet Friday’s events underline how difficult it is to shield passengers entirely from systemic pressures. British Airways, which has previously highlighted the use of artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to improve punctuality at Heathrow, has reported stronger on time performance overall compared with earlier years. However, when airspace constraints, weather or airport specific issues come into play, carriers still have limited room to manoeuvre.
Low cost giant easyJet, a dominant operator at Gatwick and a major presence at other London airports, is similarly exposed to air traffic bottlenecks and ground handling delays. Its dense short haul schedule, designed for high aircraft utilisation, can be particularly vulnerable when rotation times are tightened by late inbound arrivals. Vueling, part of International Airlines Group alongside British Airways, has seen its own networks affected by congestion across southern and western Europe, which in turn influences services touching the United Kingdom.
For long haul operators such as United Airlines and other North American carriers, disruption often arises from a combination of crew duty time limitations, connecting passenger flows and slot availability at constrained airports. When London services depart late because of inbound delays from the United States or vice versa, aircraft can quickly fall out of position for subsequent rotations, forcing schedule changes that can last several days before normal patterns are restored.
Impact on Travellers at the Start of Half Term
The timing of the latest disruption proved especially challenging for families and leisure travellers planning to start their half term breaks. Birmingham Airport has forecast its busiest ever February holiday period, with popular destinations including Dublin, Alicante and Amsterdam, and strong domestic demand on routes to Belfast. With record traffic levels following a bumper year in 2025, the airport entered the week with little spare capacity in its terminals and on the apron.
At London airports, the start of the Valentine’s Day and school holiday weekend traditionally brings a spike in outbound demand to European city break destinations and winter sun hotspots, as well as ski resorts in France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. On Friday, many of these flights left later than scheduled, forcing passengers to compress their itineraries or adjust onward transport from arrival airports. In some cases, delay thresholds triggered statutory assistance obligations, including meal vouchers and hotel accommodation for those stranded overnight.
Passenger accounts from affected airports spoke of long queues at airline service desks, crowded departure lounges and departure boards dominated by yellow and red markers indicating delayed or cancelled flights. While some travellers praised airline and airport staff for their efforts to provide updates and refreshments, others vented frustration at what they described as limited information, last minute gate changes and difficulty accessing rebooking options through call centres and mobile apps.
Airports Balance Recovery From Past Incidents With Future Growth
The latest disruption comes as airports across the United Kingdom balance ambitions for growth with the need to strengthen resilience. Birmingham, which has recently dealt with its own acute incidents including a runway closure following an aircraft emergency landing in 2025, has emphasised investments in infrastructure and operational planning to cope with rising passenger numbers. Its recent communications have focused on record traffic and guidance for travellers on how to navigate busy periods more smoothly.
In London, Heathrow, Gatwick and other airports have been working with air traffic providers and airlines to refine schedules and improve on time performance. Yet the capital’s airports continue to feature prominently in national rankings for departure delays, with Gatwick in particular drawing scrutiny for its average hold ups in recent performance surveys. While operators highlight improvements over previous years and point to external constraints such as European airspace controls, passengers are more likely to judge success by their experience on the day they travel.
Looking ahead, predicted growth in passenger numbers through the rest of 2026 raises questions about whether current infrastructure, staffing levels and airspace management can keep pace. Many UK airports have only recently returned to or exceeded pre pandemic traffic levels and are still rebuilding workforces in ground handling, security, aircraft maintenance and air traffic control. Any misalignment between demand and capacity heightens the risk that seemingly minor issues can trigger major service disruptions.
Passenger Rights and What Travellers Can Do
For travellers caught up in delays and cancellations on Friday, understanding passenger rights remains essential. Under UK and European consumer protections, passengers on many affected flights may be entitled to care and assistance, including meals, refreshments and accommodation when delays stretch into long waits or force overnight stays. In some circumstances, particularly where delays are not due to extraordinary circumstances, financial compensation may also be payable, depending on flight distance and length of delay.
Airlines are urging customers to make full use of their digital tools, including mobile apps and websites, to obtain real time updates, rebook onto alternative services and submit claims for refunds or compensation. Travel experts recommend that passengers keep boarding passes, booking confirmations and receipts for any out of pocket expenses incurred during a disruption to support any subsequent claims. They also advise considering travel insurance policies that specifically cover missed connections, extended delays and accommodation costs.
On the day of travel, passengers are advised to arrive at the airport well in advance of departure time, particularly during peak seasons such as half term. Checking in online where possible, travelling with carry on luggage only, and familiarising themselves with airport security rules can help reduce time spent in queues and lower the risk of missing a rescheduled or brought forward departure. However, even well prepared travellers may still face disruption when system wide issues emerge, reinforcing the need for realistic expectations and contingency planning.
Calls for Long Term Fixes to a Stretched System
Friday’s problems have prompted renewed debate about the resilience of the UK’s aviation system. Consumer groups and some industry commentators argue that frequent waves of disruption, whether triggered by weather, technical issues or staffing constraints, point to a structure operating too close to its limits. They are calling for coordinated investment in air traffic management, airport infrastructure and workforce planning to reduce the frequency and severity of such events.
Airports and airlines, for their part, emphasise that many factors are not under their direct control, particularly cross border airspace rules and national infrastructure such as power supplies and transport links. They highlight recent initiatives in digital operations, collaborative decision making between airports, air traffic services and airlines, and the recruitment and training of additional staff in critical roles. Yet they also acknowledge that there is no single quick fix, and that improving reliability while accommodating demand growth will require sustained effort and funding over several years.
For now, passengers in London, Birmingham and across the country remain vulnerable to sudden bouts of disruption, as the events of 13 February underscore. With the February half term only just beginning and further busy periods to come at Easter and in the summer peak, the challenge for the aviation sector will be to minimise the likelihood that similar headlines repeat in the months ahead.