772 flights delayed or canceled at Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, and Newcastle

Disruption overview

On 25 June 2026, a wave of delays and cancellations disrupted 772 flights at London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport, Edinburgh Airport, and Newcastle Airport, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. The problems affected airlines including British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, Loganair, Jet2, Emirates, Lufthansa, and KLM, and slowed both domestic and international routes as poor weather and wider European air traffic pressure built through the day. Because the disruption appears to have been caused by factors outside the airlines' control, compensation is usually unlikely, but carriers should still provide rebooking, refunds where relevant, and care and support if you're left waiting.

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Disruption details

Hundreds of passengers were stranded on 25 June 2026 after a surge in delays and cancellations disrupted 772 flights at London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport, Edinburgh Airport, and Newcastle Airport. Flight-tracking data showed 732 flights running late and another 40 canceled during the day.

If you were traveling through any of these airports, it likely meant crowded terminals, revised departure times, and a long wait to see when you could actually leave. The disruption affected both domestic and international services, making it harder for many passengers to reach onward connections.

The problems cut across major airlines. British Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, and KLM saw delays build on important European and long-haul routes, while easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, and Loganair also faced knock-on disruption as earlier delays left aircraft arriving late for their next flights.

At Heathrow in particular, delays to regional connecting flights also put some onward long-haul trips at risk. By the evening, aircraft and crews were out of position, which led to more last-minute schedule changes and longer lines at rebooking desks.

The disruption included:

• 732 flights ran late during the day.

• 40 flights were canceled.

• Routes to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, and North American hub cities saw significant delays and missed connections.

• Some evening flights from Edinburgh and Newcastle to Mediterranean destinations were pushed into the early hours or canceled outright.

Weather appears to have been the main trigger. Intermittent low visibility and showery conditions at UK and continental airports reduced takeoff and landing rates, while wider summer capacity strain across European air traffic control left airlines with very little room to recover lost time.

That combination is especially difficult for London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport, which are already operating close to capacity. Once early-morning departures start slipping, delays can spread quickly through the rest of the day.

Earlier delay clusters elsewhere in Europe also restricted aircraft availability, compounding the disruption on 25 June. For passengers departing from Edinburgh Airport and Newcastle Airport on evening leisure routes, some flights to Mediterranean destinations were pushed into the early hours or canceled outright.

Airlines offered standard rebooking and care options, and some travelers were moved onto later flights or partner services. But with summer demand high, spare seats were limited, so some passengers had to arrange overnight accommodation or longer ground transfers to other airports.

Because this disruption appears to have been driven by weather and wider air traffic limits outside the airlines' control, compensation under EC 261 is usually unlikely. Even so, you should still be offered support if your journey was disrupted, including rebooking or a refund after a cancellation, meals and refreshments during long delays, and accommodation if you're stuck overnight. Although compensation is unlikely here, that doesn't mean you're without support. If you want to check what applies to your flight, you can use AirHelp's free flight checker.

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