UK air traffic control failure triggers over 1,000 flight cancellations

More than 1,000 flights were cancelled across Britain after a technical failure in the country’s air traffic control services disrupted flight operations, causing widespread delays at major airports.

National Air Traffic Services (NATS), which manages air traffic control across the UK, said that it had identified a technical problem with its flight processing system. The issue disrupted departures at airports across the country and resulted in significant delays and cancellations.

Several major British airports were affected by the technical failure on Tuesday (local time), including Heathrow Airport, Edinburgh Airport and Manchester Airport, according to data provided by Sweden-based flight-tracking service Flightradar24.

An analysis of Flightradar24 data by local media showed that more than 1,000 flights had been cancelled at airports across Britain by Tuesday night, highlighting the scale of the disruption caused by the failure in the air traffic control system.

NATS later said that it had implemented a technical fix to address the problem, although it warned that restoring normal operations and clearing the resulting backlog was taking longer than initially expected.

"Our system issue is now resolved," NATS said in a statement. "We are operating normally and working as hard as possible to clear the backlog of flights."

The air traffic control service had initially said that the disruption had been traced to its flight processing system and that engineers were working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.

Heathrow, Britain’s largest airport, said it was coordinating closely with NATS to address the disruption and minimise the impact on passengers and flight schedules.

Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 said that arrivals and departures were being regulated at airports across the London flight information region because of the technical problem, affecting the movement of aircraft and contributing to delays across the network.

The disruption was not limited to airports in and around London, as several airports in other parts of Britain also reported an impact on their operations.

Edinburgh Airport warned passengers that the technical issue affecting the air traffic control system could have an impact on flights operating from the airport.

The disruption also extended beyond Britain’s airports. Dublin Airport said flights arriving from and departing for Britain were being affected by the technical problem, with passengers facing disruptions to their scheduled journeys.

Luton and Birmingham airports also reported delays and cancellations as the effects of the technical failure continued to spread through the aviation network. Aberdeen and Glasgow airports likewise reported disruptions, with passengers facing delays or cancellations to their flights.

British Airways said it was experiencing disruption because of the technical failure affecting the national air traffic control system.

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