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A technical glitch at the UK’s air traffic control center caused disruptions at major airports in London and across the country on Wednesday. The issue has since been resolved, and flight departures are gradually returning to normal.
“Our systems are fully operational, and air traffic capacity is coming back online,” stated the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) via their X account.
“All departures have resumed at every airport, and we are collaborating with airlines and airports to safely clear the backlog. We apologize to everyone impacted by this outage.”
Initially announced by NATS about 20 minutes earlier, the outage affected Heathrow Airport, the largest in Britain and Europe’s busiest.
“Flights at Heathrow resumed after a technical problem at NATS’s Swanwick control center. Passengers are advised to check with their airline before heading to the airport,” an airport spokesperson said.
Gatwick and Edinburgh airports also reported that their operations were returning to normal. London City Airport experienced earlier disruptions as well. The exact duration of the outage remains unclear.
Earlier this year, in August 2023, Britain experienced flight disruptions when automatic flight plan processing systems malfunctioned.
Last year, the UK’s aviation regulator instructed NATS to review and improve its contingency plans following this recent outage, which airline executives estimate cost carriers over 100 million pounds ($133 million) in refunds and compensation.
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