Air traffic control delays and disruption can affect departure and arrival times significantly. Here is what ATC delays mean for your airport transfer and how Atlantic Prestige Travel handles them.
Air traffic control (ATC) delays are one of the most common causes of flight disruption in the UK and Europe. Unlike weather delays or technical issues, ATC delays are often unpredictable and can affect large numbers of flights simultaneously. Here is what ATC delays mean for your airport transfer and how Atlantic Prestige Travel handles them.
What causes ATC delays?
Air traffic control delays occur when the volume of aircraft in a particular airspace exceeds the capacity of the air traffic control system to manage them safely. Common causes include:
- Staffing shortages: ATC strikes or staff shortages in France, Spain, Greece and other European countries regularly cause delays to UK flights
- Airspace restrictions: Military exercises, VIP movements or emergency situations can restrict airspace and cause delays
- Weather: Severe weather at destination airports or en route can cause ATC to slow the flow of traffic
- Technical issues: ATC system failures can cause significant disruption across multiple airports
- High traffic volume: During peak summer periods, European airspace can become congested, causing delays across the network
How ATC delays affect departure transfers
If your outbound flight is delayed due to ATC, you will typically receive notification from your airline via the airline app, email or SMS. The delay may be announced at short notice — sometimes only 30–60 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
What to do if your outbound flight is delayed:
- Check the airline app or website for the latest departure time
- Contact Atlantic Prestige Travel as soon as you know about the delay — the earlier you notify us, the better we can adjust the collection time
- Do not assume the delay will be short — ATC delays can extend significantly as the day progresses
- Proceed to the airport as planned unless the delay is very long (more than 3–4 hours) — it is generally better to be at the airport early than to risk missing a revised departure time
Important: If your flight is delayed and you have already been collected, your driver will take you to the airport as planned. It is generally better to be at the airport with time to spare than to risk a revised departure time.
How ATC delays affect return transfers
For return transfers, ATC delays are handled automatically through flight tracking. Atlantic Prestige Travel monitors your inbound flight in real time and adjusts the collection time based on the actual arrival time — not the scheduled arrival time.
If your return flight is significantly delayed (more than 2–3 hours), Atlantic Prestige Travel will contact you to confirm the updated collection plan.
The 2023 NATS outage — a case study
In August 2023, a technical failure at NATS (National Air Traffic Services) caused the cancellation or significant delay of hundreds of UK flights over several days. The disruption affected Liverpool Airport, Manchester Airport and all other UK airports.
For passengers with pre-booked private transfers, the disruption was handled as follows:
- Outbound transfers were rescheduled based on revised departure times
- Return transfers were monitored via flight tracking and adjusted automatically
- Passengers were contacted directly for significant changes
The key lesson from the NATS outage is that pre-booked private transfers are significantly more resilient to disruption than public transport or taxi hailing — because the driver is monitoring your specific flight and adjusting accordingly.
What to do during ATC disruption
For outbound transfers:
- Monitor the airline app for the latest departure time
- Contact Atlantic Prestige Travel as soon as you know about a delay
- Do not cancel your transfer unless the flight is cancelled — delays are manageable
For return transfers:
- Share your flight number when booking — this is essential for flight tracking
- Keep your phone on after landing
- Proceed to the arrivals hall as normal — your driver will be there based on your actual arrival time
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See also: How we track your flight for airport pickups | Flight delays and disruption | Return airport pickups | Early morning airport transfers
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