Flights are now resuming across UK airports after a technical issue at The National Air Traffic Service (NATS) led to flight diruptions across the region.
NATS statement on the issue
NATS announced at around 16:00 UK time that it was facing an issue regarding a fault in the technical system at Swanwick air traffic control centre. The issue was resolved in about 20 minutes, wherein the air traffic service informed that its engineers had resolved the issue at around 16:25 UK time. However, the issue led to disruptions across the UK, delaying departing flights to and from Gatwick, Heathrow and Edinburgh, among other airports. The disruption caused issues with short-haul and long-haul flights.
A statement posted on X by NATS reports that the fault has been fixed and that flights are resuming as normal in the London area. Passengers are advised to contact their airline in regards to updates about their flight.
At around 17:05, NATS said:
Our systems are fully operational and air traffic capacity is returning to normal. Departures at all airports have resumed and we are working with affected airlines and airports to clear the backlog safely. We apologise to everyone affected by this issue.
Updates on affected airports
UK transport authorities have warned of continued disruptions. However, flights are now resuming across airports.
London Gatwick announced earlier on X that ‘there are some delays at London Gatwick while operations resume.’
Stansted Airport had also notified passengers on X posting that ‘many departures and arrivals are currently impacted. Passengers due to travel are advised to stay in touch with their airlines for updates to their flights. In its latest statement, the airport said that while inbound and outbound flights resume, there may be some issues with flight schedules.
All departing flights at Newcastle International Airport were suspended, and an update is expected regarding the suspension of flights promptly.
London City Airport reported disruption, though the extent of delayed flights is unclear.
A couple of years ago, in 2023, an air traffic control glitch had caused major disruptions across busy UK airports, with hundreds of flight cancellations.
Were you impacted by the glitch? Do let us know your experience in the comments!
