Airline passengers will benefit from tougher enforcement of consumer protection laws following an investigation into the August 2023 air traffic control (ATC) collapse, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has said .

The minister said she wanted to ensure “all passengers feel confident when they fly”.

More than 700,000 passengers suffered disruption when flights were grounded at UK airports on August 28 last year, after ATC provider National Air Traffic Services (Nats) suffered a technical problem processing a flight plan.

An investigation into what happened found that a number of travelers waited “several weeks, and in some cases months” for airlines to reimburse their expenses.

It recommended that the regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), should have the power to “take enforcement action against consumers” without going to court.

This could include the possibility of imposing fines, which would bring it in line with regulators in some other sectors.

Ms Haigh said: “The Nats IT failure last year was an unprecedented event which we all hope will never happen again. I therefore welcome the final report and its recommendations aimed at strengthening the sector and restoring passenger confidence.

“I have already said that I will be the chief passenger and that my priority is to ensure that all passengers feel confident when they fly.

“That is why my department will seek to introduce reforms, where possible, to provide air travelers with the highest possible level of protection.”

The CAA’s inability to impose fines means it is forced to take airlines to court if they fail to respond to enforcement measures, meaning short-term resolutions are unlikely.

Under the Conservative government, in June last year, the Department for Transport outlined plans to give the CAA “stronger enforcement powers”, but no legislation on the issue was brought before Parliament.