UK air traffic control glitch causes widespread flight delays

On Monday, air travel in the United Kingdom encountered some problems due to a technical issue with the country’s air traffic control systems. This situation has caused airlines and airports to send out alerts regarding potential flight delays and even cancellations.

The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) confirmed the technical fault, stating that measures have been implemented to ensure safety.

• “We are currently experiencing a technical issue and have applied traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety. Engineers are working to find and fix the fault,” the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said.

Despite the technical problem, NATS clarified that the UK airspace remains operational. This development occurred on a day marked by high travel activity, with parts of the UK observing a public holiday.

London’s Gatwick Airport acknowledged the technical issue and anticipated delays and potential cancellations.

Also, Heathrow Airport, the UK’s largest and busiest airport, acknowledged nationwide airspace disruptions and advised passengers to stay updated through their respective airlines.

Airlines React

In response to the disruption, British Airways said it was “working closely with NATS to understand the impact of a technical issue that is affecting UK airspace” and will keep its customers updated.

Budget carrier, Ryanair, primarily operating in Europe, said that it will be “forced to delay/cancel several flights” to and from the UK on Monday.

Meanwhile, Scottish airline Loganair said that there had been a “network-wide failure of UK air traffic control computer systems” on Monday morning and warned of flight delays.