The disruption to airline passengers continued on Tuesday due to the cascading effects of an air traffic control (ATC) fault. Transport Secretary Mark Harper described it as the most significant incident of its kind in nearly a decade and announced plans for an independent review.
The issue began on Monday when over a quarter of flights at UK airports had to be canceled due to a “technical issue” affecting ATC provider National Air Traffic Services (Nats). Nats couldn’t automatically process flight plans, leading to manual checks and flight restrictions.
Although Nats reported the issue as resolved on Monday afternoon, the disruption continued into Tuesday as many flights and crews were still out of position. Data analysis revealed that at least 281 flights, including arrivals and departures, were canceled at the UK’s six busiest airports on Tuesday.
The disruption led to extensive delays for many other flights. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak acknowledged the frustration of affected passengers, stating that the issue was rare but the disruption would persist for a while longer.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper emphasized that the incident was a technical fault and not a cybersecurity incident. He announced an independent review, and the Civil Aviation Authority will produce a report in the coming days to assess lessons learned and reduce the impact of similar incidents in the future.
This incident follows a significant ATC systems failure in December 2014, which also caused widespread disruption at airports. The aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, is closely monitoring Nats and will receive an incident report once their investigation is complete.
The disruption affected a quarter of a million people on Monday, including British athletes stranded in Budapest after the World Championships. Passengers both in the UK and abroad expressed frustration and uncertainty about their travel plans.
Aviation consultant John Strickland explained that providing ATC for flights is complex, with robust systems meant to be reliable but vulnerabilities exist when relying on IT systems.
Airlines advised passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport as flight times may have changed due to the ongoing disruption.
Share on Facebook «||»
Share on Twitter «||»
Share on Reddit «||»
Share on LinkedIn
‘Radar contact lost’: Former air traffic controller recounts the time he had a hair-raisingly bad day at work – losing five planes in a giant thunderstorm over Arizona: “Loss of radar contact”In his autobiography, former air traffic controller Robin A. Smith admits that he, too, has had to say those dreadful words.The compelling...
Flights are delayed as a result of a technical issue with UK air traffic control.: Holidaymakers all across the country have encountered travel disruptions during the Bank Holiday due to an air traffic control malfunction in the UK. The National...
Flights delayed and canceled over shortage of staff amid air traffic control at Gatwick.: Air Traffic Control Staff Shortage Disrupts Gatwick Flights Flights Cancelled, Delayed, or Diverted Due to Lack of Air Traffic Control Staff Gatwick Airport faced a...
Below Deck Star Captain Sandy’s Wildest Guest Request: Chartering Planes for Food: Below Deck Star Captain Sandy’s Wildest Guest Request: Chartering Planes for Food” A Memorable Guest Request Captain Sandy Yawn, known for her role on the...
Boeing Shares Plunge Nearly 9% After FAA Grounds 171 Planes: Investors React to Alarming Incident on Alaska Airlines Flight: Boeing’s Stock Plunge Boeing Corporation experienced a significant decline in its stock value, plummeting approximately 8.6% in pre-market trading. This drop followed the Federal Aviation...
United and Alaska Airlines Cancel Nearly 350 Flights- FAA grounds 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes amid safety fears, leaving thousands of passengers facing major travel disruption: FAA Grounds 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 Planes The Federal Aviation Authority took swift action following a potentially catastrophic incident on Alaska Airlines flight 1282....
Breaking: Ibom Air Shifts Operations with Arrival of New Airbus A220-300: In a significant development in Nigeria’s aviation sector, Ibom Air has announced the cessation of its wet leased aircraft operations. This decision arrives in the...
Lagos Traffic Radio 96.1FM: Enhancing Traffic Management and Community Engagement: Advertisements The Leader of Lagos Division Ambassadorial Team, Ambassador Ismail Atitebi, recently expressed his admiration for the remarkable contribution of Lagos Traffic Radio 96.1FM to...
Additional Eurostar disruptions occur as all services departing from St Pancras to France are canceled, Southeastern Trains are halted because of tunnel flooding, and Thameslink services are scrapped due to a lack of staff.: Disrupted New Year Travel Plans New Year travel preparations faced significant upheaval as both Eurostar and Southeastern train services encountered cancellations due to flooding in...
How Netflix and its main competitors invested MILLIONS in shows that got canceled prior to their debut episodes airing.: The Rise and Fall of Unaired TV Shows The exponential growth of streaming platforms brought forth an era of grand, high-budget TV shows, sparking what...
