Flights Resume Across the UK After Nationwide Air Traffic Control Failure Causes Major Disruptions

International

Flights are gradually resuming across the United Kingdom after a significant air traffic control failure caused widespread delays and cancellations at airports nationwide on Wednesday.

The disruption originated from a technical issue at the UK’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) center in Swanwick, Southampton. As a result, departures were temporarily halted at several major airports, including Gatwick, Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Birmingham, and Luton.

In a statement issued earlier in the day, NATS explained:

"We are limiting the number of aircraft flying in the London control area in order to ensure safety."

The issue has since been resolved, but delays and cancellations are ongoing as airports and airlines work to restore normal operations. As of 17:30 BST (16:30 GMT), 45 departures and 35 arrivals had been canceled at UK airports.

British Airways reported that the problem had affected "the vast majority" of its flights. Passengers on all airlines have been advised to check directly with their carriers before travelling to the airport.

Ryanair, one of Europe’s largest low-cost carriers, issued a strong rebuke following the incident. Neal McMahon, a senior executive at the airline, called for the resignation of NATS CEO Martin Rolfe, stating:

"It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption due to Martin Rolfe’s continued mismanagement of NATS."

He added:

"Yet another ATC system failure has resulted in the closure of UK airspace, meaning thousands of passengers' travel plans have been disrupted."

Although the immediate technical failure has been addressed, residual delays are expected to persist into the evening. Passengers are strongly encouraged to stay updated via their airline or airport before heading out.