UK air traffic control went down today (July 30) in a major outage, causing flight disruption across the country. Major airports across the country are affected, including London Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Liverpoolwith passengers urged to check with their airline before travelling.
The disruption has already caused significant delays, as well as British Airways flight cancellations from destinations like Nice, Budapest and Marseille.
Air traffic control provider Nats said: “As a result of a technical issue at Nats Swanwick air traffic control centre, we are limiting the number of aircraft flying in the London control area in order to ensure safety, which is always our first priority. We apologise for any delays this may cause.”
“Our engineers are working hard to resolve the problem as quickly as possible, and we are working closely with airlines to help minimise disruption. At this stage, we cannot say how long it will be before operations are back to normal.
“Please check with your airline on the status of your flight.”
Gatwick Airport also said: “A technical issue impacting Nats is affecting all outbound flights across the UK. There are currently no departures from London Gatwick while the situation is being resolved.
“We are working with Nats to resume flights as quickly as possible. Inbound flights are still landing at the airport.”
All flights are currently being held at Edinburgh Airport, saying: “We are waiting for further information from NATS and will provide updates when possible,” the airport wrote. Please check with your airline for the latest information on your flight.”
Birmingham Airport has also suspended its flights due to the UK air traffic control outage.
Some flights have also been reported to turn around mid-air away from the UK back to their departure airport.
The system has now been restored – what next?
According to Nats, the system has now been restoredmeaning the air traffic control is on track to resume its operation. It looks like they are trying to get the London area going first before resuming the rest of the country.
Manchester Airport has now resumed its flights, with delays to be expected: “There may be some ongoing impact to flights schedules so passengers due to travel are advised to consult their airlines for updates.”
Nats said: “Our engineers have now restored the system that was affected this afternoon. We are in the process of resuming normal operations in the London area. We continue to work closely with airline and airport customers to minimise disruption. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.”
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander also commented: “I have been informed systems have now been restored, but continued disruption is expected, and passengers should check with individual airports for advice.”
