Viral Post
Airports have warned of further disruption on Wednesday after more than 1,000 flights to and from the UK were cancelled due to a “technical issue”. National Air Traffic Control Service (Nats) chief Martin Rolfe was summoned to see Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, after reporting a problem with the organisation’s flight data processing system. Around 1,300 flights to and from UK airports were cancelled on Tuesday, with a further 327 cancellations recorded on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of passengers at airports including Heathrow and Gatwick faced travel chaos on Tuesday, with departures severely delayed because planes could not take off safely. About four hours after the disruption began, Nats said engineers had identified the problem and fixed it, but it was unclear how long it would take for systems to return to normal.
A Nats spokesperson apologised for the delays and advised passengers to check with their airline before travelling. The UK government confirmed that Rolfe remains in government confidence and is tasked with investigating the incident. Former Virgin Atlantic director Paul Charles suggested Rolfe may face pressure due to repeated system failures, including a major incident three years ago. Travel analyst Anita Mendiratta criticised the disruption, calling it a reflection of systemic weaknesses in UK aviation infrastructure.
Ryanair reported £2.5m–£3m ($3.38m–$4.06m) in immediate losses from Tuesday’s cancellations, with further disruptions expected on Wednesday. The cause of the fault remains under investigation, though it was not the same issue as in August 2023. The UK’s aviation sector faces ongoing challenges, with disruptions threatening its role as a global travel hub.
Source: The Independent
