Over 1000 flights cancelled as air traffic control glitch disrupts operation at UK airports

A technical failure in Britain’s air traffic control system disrupted flights nationwide on Tuesday, causing over 1000 cancellations and delays at several major UK airports.

A technical issue with Britain’s air traffic control system disrupted flights across the country on Tuesday, resulting in more than 1000 cancellations, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.

The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said the disruption was caused by a problem with its flight processing system. Engineers were working to restore normal operations after the issue affected airports across the UK.

NATS later announced that it had “implemented a fix” and that its flight system was beginning to recover.

Flightradar24 reported that at least 625 flights arriving at or departing from UK airports had been cancelled. London Heathrow was among the airports affected, while airlines including British Airways, EasyJet, KLM and Lufthansa also reported disruptions.

Several passengers said on social media that they were left onboard aircraft for hours before their flights were eventually cancelled. Others criticised airlines for providing inadequate communication during the disruption.

Also Read | London-Bound British Airways Flight Suffers Severe Turbulence, Crew Member Hospitalised

The disruption affected several airports, including London Stansted, London City, Manchester, Birmingham, Gatwick and airports across Scotland. Passengers were advised to check their flight status and contact their respective airlines before travelling.

EasyJet said some of its flights were “unable to operate” due to the system failure and warned that the disruption could cause “delays to flights across Europe.”

At Heathrow Airport, the website listed several cancellations and delays, particularly affecting short-haul services to European destinations.

The precise cause of the technical failure was not immediately clear.

Also Read | UK Air Traffic Glitch Triggers Mass Disruptions, 100+ Flights Cancelled

Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world news on Zee News.