UK Airports Suffer Widespread Flight Delays Due to Air Traffic Control Glitch
A technical glitch at NATS air traffic control caused widespread disruptions across at least 10 UK airports, including Heathrow and Manchester, leaving thousands facing long delays.
A technical glitch in the air traffic control systems of the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) caused widespread disruptions across at least 10 airports in the United Kingdom on Tuesday afternoon. According to Sky News, the affected hubs include London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester Airport, as well as facilities in Edinburgh, Birmingham, and Aberdeen.
The Daily Mail reported that repairs are not expected to be completed until 21:00 local time (23:00 Israel time), meaning thousands of passengers face hours of delays. The disruptions have also affected inbound flights to the UK, leaving travelers stranded on the tarmac in various locations.
One passenger tweeted from a plane in Alicante, Spain, bound for Manchester: "We are currently sitting on the runway in Alicante, on our way to Manchester, and this is affecting us too. Not just London!" Another user wrote: "Luton Airport too! We are stuck inside the plane itself."
In an official statement, NATS confirmed that the malfunction occurred within its flight processing system.
«Our engineers are on-site and working urgently to return to normal operations as quickly as possible. We are aware of the ongoing travel disruption, and sincerely apologise for this. Flights are still departing and airspace remains open, but a return to normal service will take some time. We will provide further updates as soon as possible,» the company stated.
