Technical glitch at UK air traffic control system causes flight disruptions across Europe

 

 

A technical issue at the UK's air traffic control system caused widespread disruption to flights across Europe on Monday.

The issue affected NATS' flight planning system, which is used to automatically process flight plans. This meant that flights had to be processed manually, which caused delays and cancellations.

The issue was fixed by NATS in the morning, but airlines and airports said that disruption would continue for some time.

London Heathrow, the busiest airport in western Europe, said that schedules would remain significantly disrupted for the rest of the day.

Other UK airports, including Manchester, Stansted and Gatwick, also warned of delays and cancellations.

Dublin Airport said that the issue had resulted in delays and cancellations to some flights into and out of the Irish capital.

Many passengers took to social media to express their frustration at the disruption. Some said they had been stuck on planes on the tarmac for hours, while others said they had been held up in airport buildings.

One passenger who was held on the tarmac at Budapest for two hours before being taken off the plane said that their pilot told passengers that they could face an 8- to 12-hour delay.

The disruption comes as the school holidays draw to a close and many people are travelling.

NATS said that it was working closely with airlines and airports to manage the disruption and to support passengers.

The company said that it was "very sorry" for the disruption and that it was "doing everything we can to get flights back on track as quickly as possible."