Air Traffic Control Glitch Disrupts Flights in the UK
A technical fault in Nats' flight processing system led to numerous flight cancellations and delays at airports across the UK.
A technical glitch in the system of Nats, the UK's air traffic control provider, caused hundreds of thousands of passengers to be stranded and led to widespread flight disruptions across the country.
Technical Fault and Initial Timeline
A technical issue experienced by Nats, the UK's air traffic control services provider, caused the country's third major aviation shutdown in three years. The fault began on Tuesday afternoon at around 13:00.
Affected Airports and Flight Cancellations
The disruption directly affected departing flights at the UK's largest airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Stansted. Flight tracking site Flightradar24 reported that over 1,000 flights had been cancelled as of 20:00 on Tuesday.
System Recovery and Widespread Impacts
Nats announced that it had resolved the fault in its flight processing system within about four hours. However, the disruptions quickly cascaded to include flights arriving in southern England.
Reflections Across Europe
Major institutions and airlines such as British Airways, Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, and Eurocontrol reported widespread disruptions and knock-on effects across Europe. Delays and cancellations are expected to continue on Wednesday.
Official Briefings
Nats Chief Executive Martin Rolfe is scheduled to brief Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander on the matter on Wednesday. The company stated that the system recovery was very complex and created difficulties throughout the entire aviation network.