28 August 2026ONGOINGStrike outside the airline (ATC, airport, security staff)
Norwich Airport air traffic control dispute closes the airport, from 28 August
WHAT'S HAPPENING
- Air traffic controllers at Norwich Airport, represented by the Prospect union, held a 24-hour strike on Friday 28 August 2026 in a dispute over pay, terms and conditions. The airport was closed to air traffic for the day with no flights operating.
- The controllers had been working action short of a strike since 17 August. Prospect says its members are paid below UK market rates.
- On 3 September the airport closed for nearly ten hours across three periods (06:00-14:00, 16:00-16:45 and 18:45-19:30), with two KLM flights to Amsterdam cancelled and a KLM and a Tui service delayed.
- Norwich Airport has since offered a 6.1% pay increase, which Prospect rejected, citing chronic staff shortages. As of 25 September no settlement had been announced and the union has not ruled out further industrial action.
Sources: Travel Weekly · Norwich Airport — passenger update · Prospect union · Prospect union — ballot result
WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOUR CLAIM
COMPENSATION: UNLIKELY — CARE STILL OWED
A strike by air traffic control, airport, or security staff is outside the airline's control and normally counts as an extraordinary circumstance, so compensation is usually not owed. Care and rerouting duties still apply in full — the airline must feed you, house you if necessary, and get you to your destination or refund you.
Basis: Recital 14, Regulation 261/2004
WHATEVER THE CAUSE, YOU'RE OWED
- Meals and refreshments after 2–4 hours' wait (by flight distance), plus hotel and transfers if you are delayed overnight.
- On cancellation: the choice between rerouting as soon as possible, rerouting at a later date, or a full refund within 7 days.
- If the airline provides no care, keep receipts — reasonable expenses are reimbursable.
- These duties apply even when the disruption itself is extraordinary.
CAUGHT IN THIS RIGHT NOW?
- Open the Black Box and record what the airline tells you — especially the reason. The exact wording decides the extraordinary-circumstances question later.
- Ask for rerouting in writing (app chat or email), and keep every receipt.
- Once you know your final delay, check your flight and generate the letter.
- Airline already replied with an excuse? Decode it.
This page explains the rules that generally apply to this type of disruption. Airlines assess each claim on its own facts; eligibility for a specific flight depends on its circumstances.