Flights at major UK airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, and Edinburgh, were temporarily disrupted on Wednesday due to a technical issue at the country’s air traffic control centre. The problem, which affected the National Air Traffic Services (NATS), halted several departures and caused delays across the network.
In a post on X, NATS confirmed the issue had been resolved, saying: “Our systems are fully operational and air traffic capacity is returning to normal.” The agency apologised for the disruption and assured travellers that it was working with airlines and airports to clear the backlog safely.
The disruption affected some of the busiest hubs in the country. Heathrow, Britain’s largest and Europe’s busiest airport, announced that flights had resumed but urged passengers to check with their airlines before travelling. Similar advisories were issued by Gatwick, Edinburgh, and London City airports.
The precise duration of the outage remains unclear. However, its impact echoes a similar incident in August 2023, when a malfunction in the automatic flight plan processing system caused widespread delays. Following that event, the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority had called on NATS to strengthen its contingency plans.
That previous glitch cost airlines over £100 million in refunds and compensation, prompting concerns over the resilience of the UK’s air traffic infrastructure. Wednesday’s incident may further renew calls for a robust review of system safeguards to prevent future disruptions.
Melissa Enoch
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