UK Aviation Crisis: Nearly 1,000 Flights Cancelled After Air Traffic Control Failure
A technical problem affecting the UK’s air traffic control system has caused major disruption across the country, with nearly 1,000 flights cancelled and thousands of passengers affected.
Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 reported that close to 1,000 flights had been cancelled following a failure affecting Nats, the UK’s air traffic control services provider.
Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe apologised to passengers and said the problem was taking longer than expected to resolve. He also announced that a full investigation into the incident would be carried out.
The UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has called Rolfe to a meeting. She is also expected to tell Parliament that the disruption was not caused by a cyberattack.
Heathrow and Other Major Airports Hit
The disruption affected airports across the UK, including airports in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Because the number of aircraft able to take off was restricted, the number of incoming flights also had to be limited. This caused delays at airports outside the UK as well.
Heathrow, one of Europe’s busiest airports, temporarily suspended departures around midday. With aircraft unable to leave, available parking areas at the airport became full.
Thirteen aircraft scheduled to land at Heathrow were diverted to other airports in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.
British Airways said more than 100 flights were cancelled or diverted on Tuesday afternoon. The airline advised passengers whose flights had been cancelled not to travel to the airport.
According to FlightRadar24 data, Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham were among the airports most seriously affected.
EasyJet and British Airways Cancel Flights
The disruption has also affected major airlines operating across the UK.
EasyJet cancelled around 200 flights, while British Airways cancelled more than 100 flights or diverted them to other airports.
Other airlines, including Ryanair and Wizz Air, criticised the existing air traffic management system and called for changes to the way the service is regulated.
Delays Expected to Continue
The technical failure reportedly occurred in the main system used by air traffic controllers to monitor flight plans and operational data.
Although the technical problem has been resolved, the large backlog of flights means that disruption is expected to continue for some time.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander warned that it would take time for flights to return completely to normal and advised passengers to remain in contact with their airlines.
She also said the government would seek assurances that the systems supporting the country’s aviation infrastructure are adequate and that lessons would be learned from the incident.
A UK air traffic control failure has caused major aviation disruption, with nearly 1,000 flights cancelled and delays affecting Heathrow and other major airports.
