 "Flights resume across UK after technical glitch disrupts air traffic control systems")
A technical glitch in Britain’s air traffic control system caused widespread flight disruptions at major airports in London and across the country on Wednesday, though the issue was later resolved and departures began to resume.
“Our systems are fully operational and air traffic capacity is returning to normal,” NATS, the country’s air traffic control provider, said in a post on X.
“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,” it added.
The outage, announced by NATS just 20 minutes earlier, affected Heathrow Airport — the UK’s largest and Europe’s busiest air hub.
“Flights at Heathrow have resumed following a technical issue at the NATS Swanwick air traffic control centre. We are advising passengers to check with their airline before travelling,” Reuters quoted an airport spokesperson as saying.
Gatwick and Edinburgh airports also confirmed that operations were resuming following the disruption.
Earlier, London City Airport reported similar issues, though the exact duration of the outage remains unclear.
A similar incident occurred in August 2023, when a malfunction in the automatic flight plan processing system caused widespread flight delays across the UK.
In the wake of that event, Britain’s aviation regulator had urged NATS to reassess its contingency plans, after airline executives reported losses exceeding £100 million ($133 million) in refunds and compensation.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWith inputs from agencies
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
