Flights using UK airspace were canceled or delayed by several hours on Monday due to what the UK’s National Air Traffic Service (NATS) said was a technical issue it had already identified and corrected.
Previously, Nats had to restrict the flow of aircraft and manually enter flight plans after the issue affected its system’s ability to process plans automatically, with airlines and airports warned of delays and cancellations.
The Nats said in a statement: “We identified and resolved the technical issue affecting our flight planning system this morning. We are now working closely with airlines and airports to manage affected flights as efficiently as possible.”
“Our engineers will carefully monitor system performance when we return to normal operations.”
Earlier, Irish air traffic control company AirNav Ireland said the problem, which occurred during a public holiday in parts of the UK, had led to “significant delays to flights across Europe traveling to, from or via the UK’s satellite air service”.
A spokesman for London Heathrow Airport, the busiest airport in Western Europe, said it was working with NATS and other airport partners to minimize the impact on passengers, while Gatwick Airport, south of London, said it had suffered several delays and cancellations.
British Airways said its flights had experienced serious disruptions and had made “significant changes” to its schedules, while other airlines, including Ryanair, said some flights to and from the UK would be delayed or cancelled.
Many passengers took to social media to say they were stuck on the tarmac waiting for take-off, or stranded at airports in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Israel and elsewhere, on a traditionally busy travel day with the school holidays approaching. end.
