Airports have been given the go-ahead to operate through the night in an effort to clear massive backlogs brought on by a computer error that left thousands of tourists stuck abroad.
The action follows a conference that was presided over by Transport Secretary Mark Harper and attended by the National Air Traffic Service (Nats), the Civil Aviation Authority, airlines, airports, trade associations, and Border Force.
Following the summit, Harper issued a further warning that the ripple effects of yesterday’s disruption are likely to last for the ensuing days and advised customers planning on flying to contact their airlines before leaving for the airport.
In the meantime, the first nationwide air traffic control technical issue “in almost a decade” has led London airports to issue a warning about continuous “significant disruption” to flights.
Airlines are advising passengers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport as delays and cancellations are still occurring today.
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Over 1,500 departing and arriving flights were canceled on Monday night as a result of the technical issue that affected UK airspace, leaving thousands of passengers stuck in the UK and overseas, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
That amounted to around 27% of the flights that were anticipated.
By Tuesday morning, nearly 300 flights had been canceled, including 147 flights into and 134 flights out of the UK, according to Cirium.
That represents about 5% of all departures and 5% of all arrivals on Tuesday.
Airport delays for UK flights are the result of the greatest technological error in a decade.
On August 29, 2023, travelers wait at Stansted Airport, north of London, after UK flights were delayed due to a technical fault.
via Getty Images for AFP
At the London Stansted Airport on Monday, travelers waiting for updates on postponed or cancelled flights make gestures while talking about the situation.
REUTERS
On August 29, 2023, travelers wait at Stansted Airport, north of London, after UK flights were delayed due to a technical fault.
via Getty Images for AFP
On August 29, 2023, travelers wait at Stansted Airport, north of London, after UK flights were delayed due to a technical fault.
via Getty Images for AFP
On August 29, 2023, a passenger collapses to the ground at Stansted Airport, north of London, after UK flights were delayed due to a technical fault.
via Getty Images for AFP
On August 29, 2023, a traveler is seated on the ground at Stansted Airport, north of London, after UK flights were delayed due to a technical fault.
via Getty Images for AFP
On August 29, 2023, travelers wait at Stansted Airport, north of London, after UK flights were delayed due to a technical fault.
via Getty Images for AFP
On August 29, 2023, travelers wait at Stansted Airport, north of London, after UK flights were delayed due to a technical fault.
via Getty Images for AFP
On August 29, 2023, cancelled flights are noted on a departures board at Stansted Airport, located north of London, following a technical failure that caused UK aircraft to be delayed.
via Getty Images for AFP
On Monday, August 28, 2023, travelers at Heathrow Airport in London scan the departures board.
AP
On August 28, 2023, at Gatwick Airport in Crawley, the United Kingdom, people wait close to the check-in counters.
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A technical issue that is causing delays has caused Britain’s National aviation Traffic Service (NATS) to restrict UK aviation traffic, forcing passengers with cancelled flights to wait at Heathrow Airport in London.
REUTERS
As the National aviation Traffic Service (NATS) of Britain bans UK aviation traffic owing to a technical fault causing delays, passengers wait near the British Airways check-in facility at Heathrow Airport in London.
REUTERS
Air traffic management problems in the UK have resulted in the cancellation of flights to the UK and Ireland, which has left passengers at Belfast International Airport.
PA
malfunction in the air traffic control system
After flights were canceled and thousands of passengers were left stranded due to an air traffic control (ATC) technical issue, travel disruption may persist for days. (Liam McBurney/PA) PA Wire
Joanne Dollard and her kids Emily, 10, and Arthur, 8, are detained at the airport in Bergerac, Dordogne, and Perigord, France (Rory Dollard/PA).
According to Transport Secretary Mark Harper, a technological error of this magnitude hasn’t occurred “in almost a decade.”
“Normally, the system works very well, and obviously, [we] want to look to see if there’s anything [we] can do to avoid this disruption in the future,” he said.
Nothing indicates that the technological problem was caused by a cyberattack.
Mr. Harper stated that a CAA-supervised independent study will be due “in the coming days.”
On Tuesday, Heathrow Airport reported that flight schedules are still “significantly disrupted”.
“If you are traveling on August 29,” the west London airport advised in a statement, “please ensure that you contact your airline before travelling to the airport.”
While Gatwick and Stansted airports said they aimed to maintain regular flight schedules, Luton Airport issued a warning of additional delays or cancellations for flights on Tuesday.
Before leaving for the airport, customers are advised to check the status of their flights at all London airports.
In a statement, Gatwick Airport said: “London Gatwick plans to operate a normal schedule on Tuesday, August 29, following disruption…passengers are, however, advised to check the status of their flight with the airline before travelling to the airport.”
The airport at Stansted warned: “Our terminal may be busier than anticipated as our airlines work to accommodate passengers whose travel plans have been disrupted over the past 24 hours.”
The nation’s top air traffic control company, National Air Traffic Services (Nats), announced at 3:15 p.m. on Monday that it had “identified and remedied” the technical problem and was coordinating with airports and airlines to support impacted flights.
Many passengers were stranded in the UK or abroad, and they expressed their distress at not knowing when or how they would get at their destination.
The 57-year-old Lyudmila Hristova claimed that BA’s cancellation of their 2pm flight from Heathrow to Sofia “ruined” her and her husband’s plans to attend her niece’s wedding in Bulgaria.
Considering taking a train home after their flight from London to Stuttgart was canceled was a German couple.
When Myria Mebold, 36, and her husband enquired about the circumstance surrounding their trip, British Airways “didn’t know anything at all,” according to Myria.
Major UK airlines like BA and Tui issued “significant delays” warnings due to scheduling adjustments.
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