In Britain, more than 600 flights canceled due to air traffic control system failure

In the United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 8, a major failure occurred in the air traffic management system. According to Flightradar24, at least 625 flights to and from British airports were canceled due to a technical malfunction, and delays affected air traffic across the country.

The problem arose in the flight data processing system of the British National Air Traffic Service NATS.

The company reported that engineers discovered a technical malfunction and began urgent repairs. Later, NATS stated that a fix had been implemented and the system gradually began to recover.

The cause of the technical failure had not been determined at the time of publication.

The failure affected Britain's largest airports

Cancellations and significant flight delays were recorded at the country's major aviation hubs. Problems arose, in particular, at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and London City airports, as well as in Manchester, Birmingham and airports in Scotland.

At Heathrow alone, numerous short-haul flights to European cities were canceled or delayed.

According to Flightradar24, by the evening the number of canceled flights to and from UK airports reached at least 625.

The changes affected flights of British Airways, easyJet, KLM, Lufthansa and other airlines.

EasyJet warned that due to the problem some of its aircraft could not operate scheduled flights. The company noted that the consequences of the British failure also spread to air traffic in other European countries.

Passengers are asked to check flight status

British airports recommend that passengers check the current status of their flight with the airline before traveling to the airport.

Despite the restoration of the technical system, carriers will need time to return aircraft and crews to planned locations. Therefore, delays and individual cancellations may continue even after the malfunction is fully resolved.

Some passengers reported that they remained on planes on the ground for hours, after which their flights were canceled. Queues also occurred in terminals due to the need to rebook tickets.

For passengers of a canceled flight, the airline must offer an alternative route or refund the ticket price. In case of long waiting, carriers are also obliged to provide necessary assistance in accordance with current British aviation passenger protection rules.

Based on materials: Associated Press, CBC