Several Easyjet flights across the country were cancelled after the airline was hit by IT problems.
The flight operator announced the cancellation of several flights from Liverpool and Manchester airports, including one from Manchester to Paris. Flights up and down the country were cancelled by the airline as the company dealt with technical issues. People were turned away at the gate throughout the afternoon as travellers shared their frustrations.
Along with the cancellations, EasyJet's website is also "temporarily unavailable".
READ MORE: EasyJet cancel flights across the country after IT difficulties
The website said: "Our systems are undergoing some essential maintenance work at the moment. Whilst we do this our flight booking, online check-in and manage bookings services will not be available.
"We should be back up and running at 4.00 am. We’re sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience."
An EasyJet spokeswoman told the ECHO: "Unfortunately, we are currently experiencing IT systems issues which means that flights due to depart between 13:00 and 15:00 UK time today may be impacted. Our team of IT specialists is working to restore the systems as soon as possible.
"We advise customers due to travel with us today to continue to check Flight Tracker to check the status of their flight before making their way to the airport. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and would like to thank customers for their patience as we work to resolve this as soon as possible."
When airlines change or cancel a flight, customers must be offered the option of a refund or to rebook on any reasonable route as quickly as possible, using other flight operators where necessary.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: "Thousands of passengers are facing huge inconvenience and many will be left out of pocket by this IT failure. Unhelpfully, some passengers seem to have been advised by EasyJet that this disruption is out of its control and an extraordinary circumstance, but the problem appears to be its own IT system so customers are likely to be due compensation and should lodge a claim.
"The airline must also offer the option of a refund or to rebook passengers on any reasonable route as quickly as possible, using other carriers where necessary. EasyJet passengers have faced significant disruption in recent weeks, including hundreds of cancellations, and we’ve heard from passengers who complain the airline is disregarding consumer rights.
"Passengers need an aviation regulator with improved powers to enforce these rights and the Civil Aviation Authority should be given the ability to issue direct fines on airlines when they play fast and loose with the rules. Which? remains concerned about the Department for Transport's plans to significantly water down passenger rights to compensation when their UK domestic flight is delayed or cancelled. We are urging the DfT to reconsider so that passengers get a fair deal."
