- UK Air Traffic Control Technical Malfunction Causes Travel Chaos
- Efforts to Resolve the Technical Issue Continue
- Passengers Face Delays of Up to 12 Hours and Cancellations
The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) stated that the “technical issue” affecting its flight planning system had been “identified and resolved,” but travelers were still experiencing disruptions.
After a technical issue with UK air traffic controllers, passengers were warned of 12-hour delays.
National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said in an updated statement this afternoon that the “technical issue” disrupting its flight planning system had been “identified and resolved,” but travelers continued to experience disruptions.
“We are now working closely with airlines and airports to manage the affected flights as efficiently as possible,” stated NATS.
“Our engineers will closely monitor the efficacy of the system as we resume normal operations.
“The flight planning issue hindered the system’s ability to autonomously process flight plans, meaning that flight plans had to be processed manually, which cannot be done at the same rate, thus necessitating traffic flow restrictions.
“Our top priority is to ensure the safety of every flight in the United Kingdom, and we apologize for the inconvenience this causes. Please notify your airline to learn how this may affect your flight.”
NATS did not estimate the resolution time or root cause.
London Gatwick has stated that it will resume normal operations on Tuesday following the disruption. Before leaving for the airport, passengers should check their flight status with their airline.
Heathrow Airport has reported that flights will continue to be “significantly disrupted” for the remainder of Monday, despite the resolution of the technical issue with air traffic control.
A representative stated, “We request that passengers only travel to the airport if their flight is confirmed to be operating.”
“Teams across Heathrow are working as diligently as possible to minimize the knock-on effects and assist those whose travel plans have been disrupted.”
British Airways said no flights will depart until 6 p.m. on Monday and all check-in counters are closed.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “despite resolving the technical issue underlying today’s air traffic control problems, flights are still affected.”
He added that he would urge all passengers to peruse the guidance provided by the UK Civil Aviation Authority and “be aware of their rights when flights are delayed or canceled.
Secretary of State for the Interior Suella Braverman extends sorrow to air traffic control victims.
“This issue is currently evolving,” she told broadcasters on Monday afternoon.
The UK airspace has been affected by a nationwide air traffic control outage.
“It will affect all incoming and outgoing flights, as well as aircraft currently in UK airspace.”
“I am acutely aware that this will disrupt people’s travel plans – those who are waiting to arrive in the United Kingdom and those who are waiting to depart – and I am sorry for any inconvenience they may experience.”
The European air traffic authority Eurocontrol and the Irish air traffic controllers AirNav Ireland both warned of significant delays across Europe following the initial announcement of the malfunction.
The Liberal Democrats have urged the government to convene an emergency COBRA meeting. While the shadow transport secretary for Labour has described the problem as “extremely concerning.”
Today, 3,049 UK flights left and 3,054 arrived, carrying one million people.
Passengers have been warned to anticipate significant delays of up to 12 hours.
She published the following on X, formerly known as Twitter: “On an aircraft on the runway at Budapest airport. After nearly three weeks away from home, I am mere hours away from embracing my loved ones.
“And have just been informed that UK airspace is closed. We may be here for twelve hours. Therefore, we wait on the aircraft.”
Thomas Moore was stranded at Heathrow after an overnight flight from San Francisco on British Airways.
He stated that the aircraft landed ahead of schedule, but that they have been delayed on the tarmac since then.
The pilots informed us that we are in queue for a gate because all the planes with priority to land are unable to depart, so everything is piling up,” he said.
“According to an update, they’re attempting to find space for all the aircraft that are arriving and having to wait in sequence, as this will have a significant impact.
Planes are taking off, but we’re told that the various computerized systems used by air traffic control are not communicating with each other, so everything must be done manually.
That indicates that things are taking significantly longer than expected.
Normally, this would be one of the busiest runways in the world; however, it appears to be extremely calm.
Georgia Ziebart was stranded on an airplane for three hours in Palma, Majorca, before being escorted back to the terminal.
She said passengers were informed that all aircraft in flight when the systems failed were redirected to other nations.
She spoke while still on the plane en route to London Gatwick.
“We’ve been sitting on the aircraft for roughly an hour with no movement and little information. But the staff just informed us that there is no purpose in moving because we cannot go anywhere.
“There are passengers who have been sleeping at the airport since yesterday, so the interior is also full.
“There are numerous children and infants on board. The flight is three hours long. I do not have any sustenance. They’ve circulated and offered everyone water, but that’s it for now.”
Ryanair and Aer Lingus cancelled many Dublin and Cork flights first.
After the airline disruption, Eurostar announced it would add train from Paris to London at 8:43 this evening.
