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Air traffic control – latest: Airlines demand compensation reform as NATS outage sees 2,000 flights cancelled

There were 1,585 flights cancelled on monday, while 345 were axed on tuesday, article bookmarked.

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Airlines have demanded compensation reform as air traffic control chaos has seen 2,000 flights cancelled across Europe.

More than 2,000 flights have been cancelled in the last three days, following an hours-long air control system failure that sent flight schedules into meltdown and left thousands of travellers stranded.

Industry body Iata projected a £100m loss in revenue for airlines as customers reclaim the costs for food, accommodation and alternative travel, urging the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to review the compensation system and make the National Air Traffic Services (Nats) contribute to the cost.

“It’s very unfair because the air traffic control system, which was at the heart of this failure, doesn’t pay a single penny”, Willie Walsh, the director general of Iata, told the BBC .

He added that the UK should “look at the way passenger compensation is dealt with to ensure that the people who are responsible for the delays and cancellations ultimately bear the costs.”

The UK’s air traffic control boss, Martin Rolfe, said the glitch – caused by “dodgy” flight data – has been fixed and will not occur in the future.

Have you been affected by delays? If so email [email protected]

• Family stuck in Turkey left £3,500 out of pocket to book flight home
• Simon Calder issues advice on flight cancellations and compensation as air traffic chaos continues
• Simon Calder explains how travellers can get money back in air traffic control chaos

AMA with Simon Calder: Holiday interrupted

“We were informed that our Jet2 flight out to Gran Canaria and subsequent holiday were cancelled not because of the NATS issue, but because the knock on delay meant although the fresh crew could fly their first sector (and us) out, they would be out of hours to complete the return and this be stuck away from Bristol.

“As the company has apparently decided not to fly our flight, can compensation be claimed for this as it was a Jet2 scheduling decision not as a direct cause of the NATS problem?”

SC: An interesting question, but I am afraid that the airline can mount the reasonable explanation as follows: that the extreme disarray caused by Monday’s air-traffic control collapse, and in the process of trying to recover the schedule it is not feasible to night stop the crew and aircraft in Gran Canaria.

AMA with Simon Calder: Stress and expense

“Hello Simon!

“Can we claim compensation under EU regulations or is this situation exempt because it is considered an ‘extraordinary’?

“Our flight from Amsterdam was cancelled at very short notice on Monday night. Next earliest EasyJet flight available is Thursday evening. Has caused us stress and expense.

“I will claim for accommodation and food costs from EasyJet and hope they pay up without any quibbling.

“Can we also claim compensation under EU rules?

SC: Sorry to hear about your situation and stress. Sadly, European air passengers’ rights rules on compensation (which would be £220 for a short hop from Amsterdam to the UK) do not apply when the airline is not responsible.

But I am concerned to read: “Earliest easyJet flight available is Thursday evening.” That is entirely irrelevant. Plenty of other planes as well as ferries and trains are going from Amsterdam to the UK, and easyJet must cover the cost of getting you home as soon as possible.

Whatever the cause of a cancellation, and regardless of the amount of notice that is given, you can insist upon replacement transport: the airline must get you to your destination as soon as possible if that is what you want.

If you are flown to a different arrival airport, the airline must also meet reasonable onward travel costs.

Find out more here:

Caught in the air traffic control nightmare? Your rights when flights go wrong

Even though airlines are not to blame for the outage, the companies are obliged to care for passengers

AMA with Simon Calder: Compensation claims

“We had our flights with Ryanair from France to Manchester cancelled on Monday.

“Rebooked new flights with them as soon as we heard but weren’t any available until Saturday.

“Will we be entitled to compensation for the additional 5 days accommodation, car parking charges at Manchester airport or loss of earnings at work?”

SC: Will we be entitled to compensation for the additional 5 days accommodation? Yes, as well as meals, but keep the receipts and make sure they are itemised.

Car parking charges at Manchester airport? Possibly, but some car parking firms are letting people off if their flights are delayed.

Loss of earnings at work? No.

One per cent of all flights at UK airports cancelled on third day of disruptions

Aviation analytics company Cirium said 64 flights due to serve UK airports on Wednesday were cancelled as of 9am.

This is equivalent to around one per cent of all flights.

Heathrow has the most cancellations, followed by Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

Cirium said 1,585 flights were cancelled on Monday when the air traffic control failure happened, and 345 were axed on Tuesday.

UK air traffic control meltdown fault won’t happen again, Nats chief says

The air traffic control glitch which caused thousands of flight cancellations and delays into and out of Britain has been fixed and will not be repeated, the head of Nats, the country’s air traffic control provider, said on Wednesday.

Thousands of Britons remain stranded abroad after 2,000 flights were cancelled on Monday and disruption to schedules persisted into Tuesday. The peak holiday period means those affected are not being offered alternative flights for days.

Martin Rolfe, the CEO of Nats said the technical problem was caused by a flight plan which was “not sufficiently standard”. He said the issue had been fixed.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard since we restored the service back on Monday to make sure that this type of event can’t happen again,” he told the BBC.

Ryanair criticised Nats on Tuesday for not having a back-up system. With crews and planes in the wrong places, airlines are now scrambling to get passengers home, a process with which Nats is involved.

EasyJet said it was adding five extra flights from holiday hotspots in Portugal and Spain later this week to fly people home.

Faulty data hitting air traffic control ‘demonstrates huge weakness’, ex-BA boss says

It is “staggering” that the UK’s air traffic control system was caused to “collapse” by a piece of incorrect data, according to former British Airways boss Willie Walsh.

National Air Traffic Services (Nats) chief executive Martin Rolfe said the widespread disruption which started on Monday “relates to some of the flight data we received”.

Mr Walsh, director-general of global airline body the International Air Transport Association (Iata), told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I find it staggering, I really do.

“This system should be designed to reject data that’s incorrect, not to collapse the system.

“If that is true, it demonstrates a considerable weakness that must have been there for some time and I’m amazed if that is the cause of this.

“Clearly we’ll wait for the full evaluation of the problem but that explanation doesn’t stand up from what I know of the system.”

ICYMI: EasyJet to send ‘rescue flights’ for passengers stranded by air traffic control chaos

Britain’s largest budget airline will send “rescue flights” for passengers stranded abroad by air traffic control chaos.

As hundreds of flights were cancelled on Tuesday , easyJet confirmed it would operate five repatriation flights to London Gatwick over the coming days.

The rescue flights will operate from Palma and Faro on 30 August, Tenerife and Enfidha on 31 August and Rhodes on 1 September.

EasyJet to send ‘rescue flights’ for passengers stranded by air traffic control chaos

EasyJet will put on repartriation flights from Palma, Faro, Tenerife, Enfidha and Rhodes in the coming days

Stranded passengers ‘sleeping on floors’ at airports as they wait for flights home

Many affected travellers are being told to wait several days for flights home.

Some have been forced to sleep on floors or makeshift beds at airports, or take long routes by land after their flights were cancelled.

Airlines were criticised for failing to book hotel rooms for many people who were delayed overnight.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said on Tuesday night: “Airlines are clear about their responsibilities to their customers and I stand ready to provide further appropriate support from the Government should the industry request it.

“Although the air traffic control system is back up and running, the knock-on effects of (Monday’s) disruption are likely to continue over the coming days.”

Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: “We’re seeing worrying reports of passengers being left stranded without support, and airlines failing to properly communicate with their passengers or fulfil their legal obligations such as offering timely rerouting or providing overnight accommodation.

British family stuck in south of France until Sunday after flights cancelled

A British family are stuck in France until Sunday and must fly back from an airport hours away from where they were staying after the air traffic control failure.

Rory Dollard, 40, a cricket journalist at PA Media, said he and his wife Joanne, 40, and children Emily, 10, and Arthur, eight, of Skipton, North Yorkshire, were left waiting for five hours at Bergerac Dordogne Perigord Airport on Monday after their Ryanair flight could not take off.

After being sent to spend the night at a hotel in an industrial estate, they returned to the airport to find out about flights, but there were no staff around.

Mr Dollard said: “We hired a car at the airport and travelled to visit some friends and that’s how we’re spending the next few days.

“Six days, it’s remarkable really, I’ve been to the airport again today and the flights had restarted for Ryanair, but they were all full already so it wasn’t a case that we could book on to the next flight.

“We’re having to wait for the next available route, which is a couple of hours’ drive away at a different airport, Limoges, on Sunday afternoon.

“It feels like there’s been a lack of information for passengers, really, I understand that there’s a lot of people affected across the continent, it feels like the weight of people affected has overloaded the system.

“We were told we would hear from somebody the following morning and we still haven’t heard from anyone and frankly we’re not expecting at this stage to hear from anyone at all, I guess we’ll be dealing with it once we get back to England.”

Couple estimates ‘about £2,200’ loss due to flight disruption

A “gutted” sales executive said he estimates he and his wife are “about £2,200 out of pocket” due to an air traffic control glitch which resulted in their flight from Crete being cancelled.

Tom Perry, 31, who is based in Cornwall, said that he and his wife discovered their easyJet flight for Monday night from Heraklion airport to Luton had been cancelled about an hour before they planned to leave for the airport.

The couple ultimately booked flights home for Friday for £1,172 and are “gutted” to have to pay for new flights with a different airline without getting a refund for their original booking, Mr Perry said.

Mr Perry said they have had to pay “around £300” towards extending their stay at a villa in Sissi, Crete, as well as paying for a parking space for additional days at Luton airport and their dog to stay at a kennel.

Mr Perry’s wife, Ella, 27, is an NHS nurse who could “lose pay or annual leave”, he said.

He had become concerned that his flight might be affected by the air traffic control glitch on the day of his flight.

He said: “Earlier in the day, probably six or seven hours previous, we saw that there were delays so I was keeping an eye on that.”

He said the couple’s flight was initially pushed back until 7am the following day “but as the day went on it got better and better and better and then eventually got to an hour and a half delay from the original time of the flight.”

Then, about an hour before they left for the airport, the easyJet app announced that their flight had been cancelled, Mr Perry said.

He said: “The communication was very, very poor, I would say. We got an email eventually, probably about an hour after the app updated, to say it was cancelled, to say, ‘Yes, it’s cancelled.”’

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Why are flights being cancelled today? UK air traffic control problems explained as flight delays continue

An air traffic control failure is affecting flights to and from the uk on monday, with widespread delays and cancellations.

Passengers are facing chaos at airports around the UK after air traffic control systems suffered a “network-wide failure”.

There are ongoing and severe delays to flights , while airlines have been forced to cancel flights as a result of the technical problems.

Frustrated travellers have been posting widely on social media from planes marooned on runways unable to take off, on what is one of the busiest of the year for airports.

Why are flights being cancelled?

In a statement on Monday afternoon the National Air Traffic Services (NATS), the UK’s leading provider of air traffic control services, said controllers are having to input flight plans manually due to an ongoing fault with its systems.

The organisation apologised for the disruption caused by the failure, explaining: “This morning’s technical issue is affecting our ability to automatically process flight plans.

“Until our engineers have resolved this, flight plans are being input manually which means we cannot process them at the same volume, hence we have applied traffic flow restrictions.

“Our technical experts are looking at all possible solutions to rectify this as quickly as possible. Our priority is ensuring every flight in the UK remains safe and doing everything we can to minimise the impact.

“Please contact your airline for information on how this may affect your flight. We are sincerely sorry for the disruption this is causing.”

According to data from Flight Radar 24 cited by Sky News, as of around 2.30pm on Monday 7.7 per cent of flights to and from the UK had been cancelled.

This figure – which equates to around one in 13 flights – is around seven times higher than the two previous Mondays.

The issues in the UK also affected flights out of and landing at Dublin Airport, with both Ryanair and Aer Lingus announcing cancellations.

Ryanair said: “Due to another UK ATC failure, Ryanair will be forced to delay/cancel a number of flights to/from the UK today, Aug 28.

“All affected passengers will be notified of their options to change flights (free of charge) to another Ryanair flight or receive a full refund.

“We sincerely apologise for this UK ATC failure which is beyond Ryanair’s control and is affecting all airlines operating to/from the UK.”

Aer Lingus said: “There are severe restrictions on all flights into the UK and flying over UK airspace today. We would ask you to check the status of your flight before coming to the airport today as delays and cancellations are likely.”

The NATS initially announced that it it had applied traffic flow restrictions on Monday to maintain safety following a technical issue.

In a statement, the organisation said: “We are currently experiencing a technical issue and have applied traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety.

“Engineers are working to find and fix the fault. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Michele Robson, who used to work in air traffic control, said that it was “unusual” for failures to persist this long as they were usually “only last a couple of hours”.

She told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme: “There was a flight planning system failure this morning which affected both centres in the UK.”

Speaking from Jersey Airport while waiting to fly to London, she added: “It looks like there’s been what they would call a zero rate put on, where it means that no aircraft can take off inbound to the UK or probably outbound. It would generally be them trying to land things that were already in the air.”

A Heathrow spokesperson said: “As a result of national airspace issues there is disruption to flights across the UK. Passengers are advised to check with their airline for the latest information.

“We are working closely with NATS and other airport partners to minimise the impact this has on passengers.”

A statement from Gatwick Airport read: “We are seeing delays, and cancellations are likely. We apologise for any inconvenience and ask you to contact your airline for further information.”

At Stansted, Ryanair passengers told the Press Association they had been told to wait at their gate until further notice.

Can I claim compensation?

Passengers have a right to a refund or to be rebooked onto another flight to their destination if their service is cancelled, even if it’s not the airline’s fault.

Passengers are also due care and assistance after a certain length of delay, regardless of whether the delay is the airline’s fault. The care and assistance may include food and drink, a means of communication (often by refunding the cost of a passengers’ calls), as well as accommodation and transport if passengers are delayed overnight.

What a passenger is due will depend on the distance of the flight and how long they have been delayed. The UK Civil Aviation Authority offers detailed guidance .

I tried Finland's art of inner strength with an off-season trip to Lapland

If the delay lasts more than five hours, but it’s not cancelled, the passenger should also be able to choose not to travel and get a full refund on their ticket.

Under UK law, passengers can also claim compensation for delays of more than three hours or for cancellations, if the problems were the airline’s fault.

However, compensation is not typically due if the problems were caused by an “extraordinary circumstance” – and this includes restrictions on air traffic control.

These rules also apply under acts of terrorism, natural disasters and adverse weather conditions, and airport security issues.

Flights are covered by UK law if they are: departing from an airport in the UK on any airline; arriving at an airport in the UK on an EU or UK airline; or arriving at an airport in the EU on a UK airline.

Coby Benson, flight delay solicitor at Bott and Co, previously told i : “Delays and cancellations caused by air traffic control restrictions are usually considered an ‘extraordinary circumstance’ and therefore do not qualify for compensation.”

And Ceri McMillan, travel insurance spokesperson for GoCompare, told i : “If you’re travelling with an EU-based airline, or from an airport in the EU, the airline has to help you if your flight is cancelled or delayed beyond a certain amount of time. This also means that you don’t have to claim on your travel insurance.

“If it’s outside the EU, the airline doesn’t have the same duty to look after you, in which case, you will need to check with the airline to see what compensation you are entitled to.

“If your flight is delayed, it is likely that your airline will compensate you. If your flight is cancelled, you can either get a refund for all or part of the flight you haven’t used or choose an alternative flight.

“You could also be entitled to compensation for the cancellation itself, depending on the notice that you had and the distance of your flight.”

Airlines also have a responsibility to get you to your original destination if your flight is diverted.

Additional reporting from Press Association

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France, India, Russia, UK issue travel warnings over Israel-Iran tensions

Warnings come as Tehran promises reprisals against Israel for the deadly April 1 attack on an Iranian consulate in Syria.

Countries including France, India, Russia, Poland and the United Kingdom have warned their citizens against travelling to Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories and, in some cases, the wider region amid threats of an Iranian attack in response to a strike this month on its consulate in Damascus.

Iran has threatened reprisals against Israel over the strike in the Syrian capital on April 1, which killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including two generals, leading to fears of an escalation of violence in the Middle East.

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The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs on Friday advised its citizens against travelling to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

In a statement on the social media platform X, the ministry added that relatives of Iran-based diplomats will return to France and French civil servants are now banned from conducting any missions in the countries and territories in question.

The UK told its citizens to avoid all but essential travel to Israel and Palestine over the “possibility of an attack on Israeli territory from Iran”.

In an update, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned against “all travel” to northern Israel, the Gaza Strip, areas near Gaza and the occupied West Bank – excluding occupied East Jerusalem and Route 1 between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Russia strongly recommended its citizens “refrain from travelling to the region”, emphasising security risks in Israel, Lebanon and Palestine.

“The situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone as well as in the area of the ‘Blue Line’ between Lebanon and Israel remains unstable,” its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Poland’s Foreign Ministry also advised against travel to Israel, Palestine and Lebanon.

“It cannot be ruled out that there will be a sudden escalation of military operations, which would cause significant difficulties in leaving these three countries,” it said in a statement. “Any escalation may lead to significant restrictions in air traffic and the inability to cross land border crossings.”

India’s statement covered Iran and Israel, calling on Indians not to go to the two countries until further notice in view of the “prevailing situation in the region”.

The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said Indian citizens who are in the two countries should observe “utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum”.

Germany meanwhile warned its citizens to leave Iran specifically, saying escalating tensions could affect exit routes.

“In the current tensions, especially between Israel and Iran, there is a risk of a sudden escalation,” the Foreign Office said. “German citizens are at concrete risk of being arbitrarily arrested and interrogated and being given long prison sentences. Dual citizens with Iranian and German nationality are especially at risk,” it added.

Separately, German flagship airline Lufthansa extended its suspension of flights to and from Tehran until Thursday and will not use Iranian airspace during that time.

Real and viable threat, US says

The United States has restricted its employees in Israel and their family members from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheba areas.

An imminent attack by Iran on Israel is a “real” and “viable” threat, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists on Friday, adding that Washington would make sure the Israelis “have what they need and that they’re able to defend themselves”.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, President Joe Biden said: “We are devoted to the defence of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed.”

The top US commander for the Middle East, General Erik Kurilla, is also in Israel for talks with its military officials on security threats. His trip was moved up from a previously scheduled date “due to recent developments”, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said on Thursday.

After Kurilla discussed the tensions with Iran with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday, Gallant said the US and Israel were “shoulder to shoulder” in facing possible threats.

“We are prepared to defend ourselves on the ground and in the air, in close cooperation with our partners, and we will know how to respond,” the defence chief added.

The Wall Street Journal, quoting a person familiar with the matter, reported on Thursday that Israel was preparing for an attack by Iran as soon as Friday or Saturday.

Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from East Jerusalem, said the Israeli army announced that it was preparing on all fronts offensively and defensively.

“A couple of weeks ago, the Israelis increased their alertness level, calling up reservists and bolstering air defence systems,” she said, adding that Israeli officials said they were prepared for anything.

Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip since October 7 and sent in ground forces, killing at least 33,600 Palestinians and injuring more than 76,000. Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel killed more than 1,100 people there.

Israel has also stepped up strikes against Iranian personnel and allies in Syria and Lebanon and has traded near daily cross-border fire with the Lebanese group Hezbollah since the start of the war.

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The U.S. issues new travel guidelines, warning that Iran will avenge the killings of senior commanders.

The State Department has barred its employees from traveling to large parts of Israel. Iran has repeatedly vowed to strike back over the deadly bombing this month of an Iranian Embassy complex in Syria.

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By Liam Stack and Eric Schmitt

• April 12, 2024

Several countries including the United States have issued new travel guidelines for Israel and the surrounding region, as the Israeli military said its forces were “highly alert” for a possible Iranian strike in retaliation for the killings of several commanders.

Iran has repeatedly vowed to strike back at Israel over the bombing of an Iranian Embassy complex in Damascus, Syria, this month that killed three generals and four other military officers. An American official said on Friday that Washington expects an attack by Iran against Israel that would be bigger than recent attacks in the long shadow war between the two countries, but not so big that it would draw the United States into war. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The U.S. State Department on Thursday barred its employees from traveling to large parts of Israel, the first time the U.S. government had restricted the movement of its employees in this way since the war in Gaza began more than six months ago.

On Thursday, Britain told its citizens that they “should consider leaving” Israel and the Palestinian territories “if it is safe to do so.” On Friday, India told its citizens “not to travel to Iran or Israel till further notice,” while France advised people not to travel to Israel, Iran or Lebanon and evacuated the families of French diplomats from Iran.

Asked about the U.S. travel warning , Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesman, said at a news briefing Thursday: “We have seen Iran making public threats against Israel in the past few days.” He declined to provide details about any specific information that prompted the warning.

The new guidelines bar U.S. government employees and their families from traveling to locations outside the Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheba metropolitan areas “out of an abundance of caution” until further notice. The State Department said U.S. personnel could move among those areas for personal travel.

The top American military commander for the Middle East, Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, traveled to Israel to coordinate a response to possible Iranian retaliation, U.S. officials said.

“Our enemies think that they will divide Israel and the United States,” the Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said in a statement on Friday after meeting with General Kurilla. “They are connecting us and are strengthening the relationship between us.”

If Iran attacks, he added, “we will know how to respond.”

On Thursday, the Israeli military’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said that the armed forces were “highly alert and prepared” for any action Iran might take, even as the timing and scale of any response remained unclear. Analysts say that Tehran, which has long used a network of proxy forces to project power across the Middle East, wants to avoid igniting a full-fledged war that could drag in the United States and threaten the survival of Iran’s regime.

“For years, and even more so during the war, Iran has been financing, directing and arming its proxies — in Lebanon, Gaza, Syria, Iraq and Yemen — to attack the state of Israel,” he said. “An attack from Iranian territory would be clear evidence of Iran’s intentions to escalate the Middle East and stop hiding behind the proxies.”

Liam Stack is a Times reporter covering the Israel-Hamas war from Jerusalem. More about Liam Stack

Eric Schmitt is a national security correspondent for The Times, focusing on U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism issues overseas, topics he has reported on for more than three decades. More about Eric Schmitt

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

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EasyJet and Wizz Air cancel flights to Tel Aviv after Iran attack on Israel

BA says it is flying but reviewing situation as several other global carriers ground services

• Middle East crisis – live updates

International airlines have cancelled and redirected flights to Israel after Iran’s missile and drone attack on Saturday.

EasyJet has stopped flights to and from Tel Aviv until Sunday, while Wizz Air has said it will resume on Tuesday after cancelling services from Saturday to Monday.

Iran fired 360 missiles and drones at Israeli territory in retaliation for an attack two weeks ago on the Iranian embassy in Syria – widely believed to have been carried out by Israeli jets – which killed a number of senior Iranian commanders.

EasyJet said: “Due to the evolving situation in Israel, easyJet has taken the decision to temporarily pause operations to and from Tel Aviv until 21 April. The safety and security of our passengers and crew is always easyJet’s highest priority.”

Wizz Air said passengers may experience schedule changes when flights resumed on Tuesday, adding that it was monitoring the situation.

A number of other international carriers including Air Canada, Delta, Iberia and Lufthansa also suspended flights to Tel Aviv on Sunday and Monday.

Wizz Air and easyJet had recently restarted flights to Israel , having paused them after the attacks by Hamas on 7 October.

On Sunday the European Commission and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency advised carriers to exercise caution when flying in Israeli and Iranian airspace , while recommending not to conduct flights below a certain altitude above Iraq and Syria.

British Airways confirmed it had run a service to Tel Aviv on Monday morning but said it was keeping the situation under review. The airline restarted flights to Tel Aviv this month but had reduced the service to only four flights a week, with crew changes at Larnaca in Cyprus, so staff did not have to spend the night in Israel.

Virgin Atlantic had suspended flights to Tel Aviv until September before the latest attacks, but the carrier said it had since changed some of its routes to avoid Iranian and Israeli airspace.

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It said: “We are not currently overflying Iraq, Iran or Israel, but we continue to monitor the situation for any potential impact on our operations. The safety and security of our customers and people is paramount and always will be. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to customers by slightly longer flight times.”

Qatar Airways said it had resumed flights to Iran, namely Tehran, Mashhad, Shiraz and Isfahan. “The safety and security of our passengers remains our top priority,” it added.

Lufthansa has suspended flights to Beirut and Tehran until at least Thursday.

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Middle East latest: Iran warns 'tiniest' attack will spark 'fierce and painful response'; clear Israel will act, says Cameron

Iran's president has warned the "tiniest move" against the country would bring a "fierce" response during a speech at an annual army parade. Meanwhile, Lord Cameron is in Israel, where he will attempt to "limit" Benjamin Netanyahu's next move.

Wednesday 17 April 2024 12:09, UK

• Israel-Hamas war

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• Clear Israel will act in response to Iran attack, Cameron says
• US believes Israel 'planning narrow and limited strike inside Iran'
• 'Tiniest move' against Iran will spark 'fierce and painful' response, president warns
• Israel denied 'more than 40%' of UN aid delivery requests to northern Gaza last week
• Dominic Waghorn analysis: The coming hours could decide whether the Middle East is plunged into a widening war
• Michael Clarke analysis: All Israel's options for retaliation come with complications
• Live reporting by Brad Young

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says Israel's military offensive has killed at least 33,899 Palestinians.

Another 76,664 have been wounded since 7 October, the ministry said.

The updated figures come after 56 Palestinians were killed and 89 injured in the past 24 hours, it added.

The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its reports, but says most of those killed are women and children.

Ceasefire talks are at a "delicate phase", according to Qatar.

"We are trying as much as possible to address this stumbling block," said prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani.

Qatar's premier condemned what he described as a policy of "collective punishment" pursued by Israel in its war against Hamas, and the latest escalation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. 

The ceasefire discussions, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, are continuing as a humanitarian crisis unfolds in Gaza, with severe shortages of food, medicine and hospital care.

Russia is in dialogue with both Iran and Israel, the Kremlin has said.

Moscow has urged both of the need for de-escalation, said spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

When asked if Tehran had warned Russia ahead of time about the strikes on Israel, Mr Peskov said he had nothing to say on the matter. 

He said Russia had close contacts with Iran and constructive contacts with Israel. 

The crew aboard a cargo ship seized by Iran on Saturday are safe, the vessel's operator has said.

There were 25 crew members aboard the MSC Aries when Iranian Revolutionary Guards commandos repelled from a helicopter on to the deck and steered the ship toward Iran.

MSC, which manages the Aires, said it was in discussion with Iranian authorities to secure their release and have the cargo discharged.

The Portuguese-flagged ship with links to Israel was hijacked while travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that separates Iran from Oman and the United Arab Emirates. 

Yesterday, Portugal's foreign ministry summoned Iran's ambassador to demand the immediate release of the vessel.

The hijacking came hours before Iran's missile and drone attack on Israel.

MSC leases the Aries from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, which is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. 

Lord Cameron has met the president of Israel and the German foreign minister in Israel.

The British foreign secretary came out of the meeting telling reporters it was clear that Israel had decided to act in response to Iran's attack despite the UK's calls for restraint.

For his part, president Isaac Herzog thanked the UK and Germany for their "strong stand alongside Israel in the face of the reprehensible attack".

"The whole world must work decisively and defiantly against the threat posed by the Iranian regime which is seeking to undermine the stability of the whole region," Mr Herzog said.

Iran launched more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel after a deadly suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria.

"Israel is unequivocal in its commitment to defending its people," the president said.

Iran's navy is escorting Iranian commercial ships to the Red Sea, according to state media.

Navy commander Shahram Irani said the Jamaran frigate was present in the Gulf of Aden.

Tehran was ready to escort vessels of other countries, he added.

The Red Sea has seen significant disruption to Israel-bound shipping due to attacks from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. 

On Saturday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized a Portuguese-flagged container ship linked to Israel in the Strait of Hormuz.

It is clear Israel is making a decision to act in response to Iran's attack, Lord Cameron has said.

Speaking from Israel, where he is meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, the foreign secretary said the UK hopes Israel's retaliation "does as little to escalate this as possible".

The UK wants to see "coordinated sanctions against Iran", he said, adding there is more the UK can do.

"It is right to show solidarity with Israel, it is right to have made our views clear about what should happen next, but it is clear the Israelis are making a decision to act.

"We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible and in a way that, as I said yesterday, is smart as well as tough."

He said the UK has sanctioned dozens of people in Iran and the entire Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, but there was "more that we can do to show a united front that Iran is behind so much of the malign activity in this region".

There was a "real need" to refocus on Gaza, including Hamas, the hostage crisis, getting aid into the territory and securing a pause in the conflict, said Lord Cameron.

Iran's president has warned the "tiniest move" against the country would bring a "fierce" response, state media reports.

"The smallest action against Iran's interests will definitely be met with a fierce, widespread and painful response against all its perpetrators," the Iranian president warned, according to Tasnim news agency.

President Ebrahim Raisi spoke at an annual army parade ahead of National Army Day tomorrow.

The parade was relocated to a barracks north of the capital, Tehran, from its usual venue on a highway in the city's southern outskirts, with no explanation given for the move.

State TV did not broadcast it live, as it has in previous years.

Italy has called on Israel to halt its military operations in Gaza.

Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister, said it was time for a ceasefire.

In an interview with La Stampa, Mr Tajani stressed that the war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's "barbaric" assault. 

He then added: "However, now a ceasefire is necessary. Israel must stop the military operations that have massively affected the Palestinian population."

The interview was conducted ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers of the Group of Seven which will be hosted by Mr Tajani.

The British foreign secretary has arrived in Israel for talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, as the prime minister considers his response to Iran's missile and drone attack.

Lord Cameron will attempt to "limit" Israel's next move - though there is some acceptance among Western governments that Israel will react, says our  Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall , reporting from Jerusalem.

"The question is what and how can that be limited to the extent that it doesn't create an even worse situation," he says.

He explains the foreign secretary will likely point to US diplomatic and economic punishments for Iran as evidence the West is assisting Israel, and try to use this as leverage to ensure Israel does not lead the region down the path of war.

The US has announced it will enact new sanctions against Iran's defence ministry, the Revolutionary Guards and the country's missile and drone programmes, and Bunkall says he would be surprised if the UK did not follow along those lines.

Lord Cameron told Sky News earlier this week that Israel should "think with head as well as heart".

"I think the smart thing to do is actually to recognise that Iran's attack was a failure and we want to keep the focus on that, on Iran's malign influence and actually pivot to looking at what's happening in Gaza," he said in an interview with Kay Burley.

The humanitarian and hostage crises in Gaza will also be an important part of the talks today, despite the world's focus on Iran, Bunkall adds.

Watch Lord Cameron's interview with Sky News below...

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