Flight delays are expected to continue across the UK on Wednesday after an air traffic control glitch cancelled more than 1,000 flights and disrupted the journeys of tens of thousands of passengers.
The disruption was caused by a fault in the flight data processing system operated by National Air Traffic Services, which manages flight plans and other operational information used by air traffic controllers.
Ryanair said more than 65,000 passengers had been delayed by up to eight hours on Tuesday. Because of the backlog of flights, airlines and airports warned that disruption could continue even after the technical fault was resolved. Because planes were unable to depart, the airport is understood to have run out of space for incoming aircraft.
Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham were among the worst-affected airports, according to FlightRadar. UK transport secretary Heidi Alexander said it would take time for flight operations to fully recover and urged passengers to check with their airlines before travelling. She also said she was seeking assurances that lessons would be learned and aviation systems were “up to the job”.
At Heathrow, departures were initially paused around lunchtime before operations resumed and then faced further disruption in the afternoon. Thirteen Heathrow-bound flights were diverted to airports in the UK and Europe. Airports affected included London Stansted and London City, along with Manchester, Birmingham, Gatwick and airports in Scotland. Passengers were urged to contact their airlines and check their flight status before travelling. Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe said there would be a full investigation into what went wrong. He said resolving the problem had taken “longer than hoped”.