“Technical problems” with British air traffic control led to more than 500 flight cancellations in the afternoon. According to the authorities, they have now been rectified – but the effects will probably still be felt for days.
Three hours after reporting “technical problems”, the British authority National Air Traffic Services NATS said these had been “identified and fixed”.
According to NATS, the British air traffic control flight planning system had collapsed, which is why flight plans could no longer be automated and only entered and edited manually.
Hundreds of failures, more delays expected
NATS initially said it had “imposed traffic flow restrictions to ensure safety.” Because of the resulting delays, around 270 landings and more than 230 departures were canceled, the BBC reported, citing aeronautical analysis company Cirium.
Many flights are more than eight hours late and will probably be canceled during the day. Thousands of travelers worldwide are affected by delays. On social networks, passengers bound for Great Britain reported hour-long delays and flight cancellations.
The consequences will probably be felt for days
Experts expected that the consequences in British air traffic around the important London hub could still be felt for days.
British Airways said the British airline had to make “significant changes” to its flight schedule. Accordingly, short distances in particular were affected. The Irish airlines Ryanair and Aer Lingus canceled several connections, including in Ireland.