So Who Pays For The Bank Holiday Air Traffic Chaos?

"Last week 2,000 flights were cancelled because of Nats's inability to process flight plans, and a quarter of a million passengers were grounded" - so said Lord Young, a former Conservative transport secretary, in the House of Lords yesterday afternoon.

- SIMON CALDER

George Young, as he was known in John Major's government, pointed out: "When airlines are responsible for delays, they must pay compensation to the passenger and pay for alternative flights, accommodation and food.

"When Nats is responsible for delays, no compensation is payable at all - and, worse, the airlines have to pick up the bill for alternative flights, food and accommodation, which, in this case, was £100m.

"Both Nats and the airlines are commercial companies - Nats had a profit of £150m last year. So is not the differential compensation between Nats, on the one hand, and airlines, on the other, wholly indefensible?"

I followed the debate with interest; not from the airlines' perspective, but from the traveller's point of view. During the delays and cancellations on the bank holiday Monday, passengers immediately faced extreme price rises for alternative transport and for hotels anywhere near airports.