Following a “technical issue” that impacted the UK air traffic control systems, thousands of air passengers have been enduring extensive delays and flight cancellations. Individuals have been stranded both within the UK and abroad due to the restrictions imposed on the number of incoming planes by the National Air Traffic Services.
All airlines operating in the UK have been affected so far with more than 500 flights cancelled.
Nats, the air traffic control provider, confirmed the malfunction on Monday shortly after midday and later announced at 15:15 BST that the issue had been identified and resolved. However, the return to normal flight operations is expected to be gradual.
Graham Lake, an aviation strategy consultant, told BBC Radio 4 PM: “What we have is a system failure that’s caused a revert to a manual system [that] has a much lower capacity for processing aircraft, and so the only way you can keep it safe is to stop aircraft taking off.
“You can’t stop the ones that are already airborne, but you stop the ones still on the ground until you’ve identified and remedied the fault.”
Cirium, an aviation data firm, said 3,049 flights would have been due to depart from UK airports on Monday, and a further 3,054 flights scheduled to arrive. As of 14:30 BST its data showed that 232 departing fights had been cancelled, which it said was equivalent to 8% of all departures, and 271, or 9%, of incoming flights.
Aviation analyst Sally Gethin speculated that the repercussions stemming from this technical fault would persist for several days.
She stated to BBC News, “Airlines will face significant challenges in managing customer care and restoring flights to a more regular timetable. I anticipate notable disruptions in the upcoming hours and tomorrow, and for some individuals, these effects might even extend into later in the week.”
Despite the problem being resolved within a few hours, airlines and airports caution that there are still notable delays. Concerns have arisen about the possibility of lingering disruptions extending over the course of several days.
Below is the status of some flights mid air at midnight BST. Images from FlightRadar24
As of late Monday evening, Heathrow Airport acknowledged that its schedules remained considerably disordered. They advised those traveling on Tuesday to reach out to their respective airlines prior to making their way to the airport. On the other hand, Gatwick Airport conveyed plans to operate a regular schedule on Tuesday, but it advised passengers to verify their flight’s status with their airline before setting off for the airport.
Meanwhile, London Luton Airport communicated that flight operations across UK airspace were still susceptible to delays and cancellations as of Monday evening. Passengers were advised to consult their airlines for updates on their flight statuses.
Newcastle airport, which unlike other major airports in the UK does not shut over night shows the scene as this article goes live
For now the problem is resolved but the knock on effects globally will last for days. We advise all passengers to check the website and social media pages of their airlines and airport for updates.
