Britain’s National Air Traffic Service (NATS) went down for many hours on Monday due to a technical fault, causing extensive disruption to planes in UK airspace that it predicted would last for some time even after the situation was resolved.
Previously, the air traffic control agency had to restrict aircraft movement when its automatic processing of flight plans failed, forcing them to be processed manually and causing flight delays and cancellations.
“It was repaired earlier this afternoon.” However, it will take some time for flights to resume regular operations, and we will continue to work with airlines and airports to resolve the problem,” NATS Operations Director Juliet Kennedy said in a video posted on the company’s website.
“Our top priority is safety, and we will thoroughly investigate what happened today.”
British Transport Minister Mark Harper said he was collaborating with NATS to help it handle disrupted flights and provide passengers with assistance.
AirNav Ireland, an Irish air traffic control operator, previously stated that the incident, which occurred over a public holiday in parts of the United Kingdom, was causing “significant delays for flights across Europe that are travelling to, from, or through UK airspace.”
A spokesperson for London Heathrow, Western Europe’s biggest airport, warned itineraries would be considerably interrupted for the remainder of the day.
“We ask passengers to come to the airport only if their flight is still operating. “Teams across Heathrow are working tirelessly to mitigate the effects and assist those whose flights have been disrupted,” a statement added.
British Airways stated that its flights had been badly interrupted and that it had made “significant changes” to its schedule, while other carriers, including Ryanair, stated that certain flights to and from the UK would be delayed or cancelled.
Manchester Airport, London Stansted, and London Gatwick were among the several UK airports that issued delays and cancellations, while Dublin Airport stated that some flights into and out of the Irish capital were disrupted.
Many passengers had previously taken to social media to complain about being stranded on flights on the tarmac or being kept in airport buildings in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Israel, and elsewhere on what is normally a busy travel day as the school vacations come to an end.
