UK Air travel hit by major air traffic control failure as thousands face disruption

LONDON — Air passengers across the United Kingdom are facing widespread delays and cancellations after a major technical failure disrupted operations at the country’s air traffic control provider, creating significant disruption across some of the UK’s busiest airports.

The problems began on Tuesday when a fault affected the flight-processing system operated by National Air Traffic Services (NATS). The technical failure disrupted flights at major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham.

More than 1,000 flights were cancelled on Tuesday, according to flight-tracking data, as airlines struggled to manage the disruption. The impact has continued into Wednesday, with at least 177 flights already cancelled, many of them involving services at Heathrow.

NATS SAYS SYSTEM HAS BEEN RESTORED

NATS said engineers had identified and resolved the technical fault, with its systems subsequently returning to normal operation.

However, the organisation warned that restoring normal flight schedules would not happen immediately.

The technical failure left aircraft, pilots and cabin crews out of their planned positions, creating a knock-on effect across the wider aviation network. As a result, passengers could continue experiencing delays and cancellations even after the original technical problem had been fixed.

HEATHROW WARNS PASSENGERS

Heathrow Airport confirmed that departures had resumed following the disruption but cautioned travellers that delays could continue as airlines work to clear the backlog.

Passengers have been advised to check directly with their airlines before travelling to the airport and to confirm whether their flights are operating as scheduled.

AIRLINES DEMAND ANSWERS

The disruption has prompted strong criticism from airlines, with Ryanair claiming that tens of thousands of its passengers were affected.

The airline has called for NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe to step down over the incident, while Wizz Air has also called for urgent reforms to Britain’s air traffic control system.

The demands have increased pressure on NATS as questions grow over the resilience of the UK’s aviation infrastructure and the ability of the system to cope with major technical failures.

REGULATOR TO EXAMINE INCIDENT

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is expected to examine NATS’ detailed report into the failure and assess whether further measures are required to strengthen the reliability and resilience of the country’s air traffic control infrastructure.

For passengers, the immediate priority remains checking flight information before setting out for the airport.

Although NATS says the technical problem has been fixed, the wider disruption is expected to take time to clear as airlines reposition aircraft and crews and work through the backlog of cancelled and delayed flights.

Travellers are therefore being urged to remain in contact with their airlines and avoid heading to the airport unless their flight has been confirmed.