12 flights canceled at Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester on 13 May

Disruption overview

A total of 12 flights from London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport, and Manchester Airport were canceled on 13 May 2026, affecting Emirates, British Airways, KLM, Ryanair, and Vueling routes to Amsterdam, Brussels, Florence, and Dubai. Heathrow and Manchester each lost five flights, while Gatwick lost two, including Emirates' 9:45 pm BST departure to Dubai International. Airlines have only said the flights were canceled for operational reasons so far, which means the cause is still unclear. If your journey was affected, you should check with your airline about rebooking or refund options, and you can use AirHelp's free flight checker to understand what rights may apply.

Disruption details

A total of 12 departures were canceled from London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport, and Manchester Airport on 13 May 2026, disrupting routes to Amsterdam, Brussels, Florence, and Dubai. For passengers, this meant sudden same-day changes across three of the United Kingdom's busiest airports.

Heathrow and Manchester each lost five flights, while Gatwick lost two. Amsterdam Schiphol and Brussels airports were hit hardest, with five KLM services to Amsterdam canceled across Heathrow and Manchester, and four British Airways and Ryanair flights to Brussels and Brussels South Charleroi removed from the schedule. Two Florence flights were also cut, along with Emirates' evening departure from Gatwick to Dubai International.

The canceled departures included:

• Heathrow lost five flights, including KLM's KL 1000 and KL 1016 to Amsterdam, British Airways flights BA 384 and BA 386 to Brussels, and BA 520 to Florence.

• Gatwick lost Vueling flight VY 6209 to Florence and Emirates flight EK-branded UAE 10 to Dubai International, scheduled for 9:45 pm BST. That removed the airport's only Gulf departure that night.

• Manchester lost five departures, including Ryanair services to Brussels South Charleroi scheduled for 6:15 am, 10:25 am, and 8:35 pm, as well as KLM and KLM Cityhopper service KL 1034/KLC 1034 to Amsterdam at 1:45 pm.

No airline or airport has given a definite reason for the cancellations. So far, they have only said the flights were canceled for operational reasons, and there were no weather warnings, strike notices, or air traffic control restrictions linked to the disruption. That means the cause is still unclear, even though the cancellations were all concentrated on a single day.

Even though 12 flights is a modest total, the disruption stood out because it was spread across three UK airports and four international destinations. It also hit some important connections: Heathrow's early and late Amsterdam services, Manchester's budget links to Brussels South Charleroi, and Gatwick's only Dubai departure that evening. The Heathrow-Brussels cancellations also affected a route used regularly by EU and NATO travelers from London.

No airline has released passenger numbers, but the cancellations likely affected around 12 planeloads of travelers. If you were booked on one of these services, you may have had to deal with last-minute rebooking, longer waits, or a change of airport or route to keep your trip moving.

British Airways told passengers to use its app or call center to move onto later same-day services where seats were still available, especially on Heathrow routes to Brussels and Florence. KLM offered similar rebooking help and also pointed Amsterdam-bound travelers toward Eurostar as a ground alternative. Ryanair said customers could choose a refund or a rebooked flight. Emirates warned affected Gatwick-Dubai passengers that seats on Heathrow services were limited and urged them to get in touch quickly.

For now, the disruption appears to be confined to 13 May. No airline has made preemptive cuts beyond that date, which suggests a one-day operational problem rather than a wider schedule change. If you're traveling on the same routes, it's worth checking your flight status directly with Emirates, British Airways, KLM, Ryanair, or Vueling before you leave for the airport.

Whether compensation applies will depend on what the airlines later confirm caused these cancellations. If the issue turns out to have been within the airline's control, some passengers may have a claim. Either way, you can still ask for rerouting or a refund, and if you're left waiting, your airline should also provide care such as food, drinks, or accommodation when needed. If you want to see what may apply to your trip, you can check your flight with AirHelp for free.

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