Hundreds of UK flights cancelled after air traffic control glitch

Air traffic control provider NATS has acknowledged disruptions to UK flights caused by a technical issue, resulting in the cancellation of approximately 200 flights on Tuesday. This disruption is affecting airborne operations across the south of the UK, impacting a significant number of departing flights nationwide. Major airports like Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, and others have reported some level of disruption, while arriving flights at these airports are not currently affected.

The issue is tied to NATS' flight processing system, which is currently under investigation. The company's engineers are on-site and working diligently to restore normal operations as swiftly as possible. NATS has apologized for the ongoing travel disruption, assuring passengers that flights are still departing and airspace remains open. However, recovery will take some time, and further updates will be provided as soon as possible.

Passengers are advised to check their flight status directly with their airlines, as the full extent of the disruption is still unfolding. The airports worst affected by this technical glitch include Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham, according to flight monitoring website Flightradar24.