Air traffic control boss given a week to report after UK flight chaos causes 2,000 cancellations
Government remains confident in under-pressure Martin Rolfe but transport secretary believes glitch was avoidable How have you been affected by UK air traffic disruption? Business live – latest updates The head of the air traffic control provider Nats has been given a week to report back on the reasons for a technical failure that grounded thousands of flights, as the transport secretary declared…
A technical issue at air traffic control provider Nats caused over 1,300 flight cancellations to and from UK airports, marking the start of a second day of flight chaos. The foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, expressed his apologies to passengers who faced significant disruption, stating that such issues cannot be allowed to recur.
"I want to apologise to all of the passengers who have faced disruption. This is frankly unacceptable," Miliband said on BBC Breakfast. The National Air Traffic Service (Nats) was found to be the cause of the problem, but the foreign secretary stressed that there is no intention to repeat such occurrences. He emphasized the transport secretary's request to the head of Nats to ensure airports run smoothly and without issues.
Miliband also acknowledged the frustration caused by the delay and the impact on both airports and airlines. He reiterated that his team takes full responsibility for the incident, but they also prioritize passenger safety above all. Following the technical issue, a thorough investigation was conducted, and they have ruled out the possibility of a cyber-attack.
Despite the swift resolution of the issue, the disruption has far-reaching consequences, and Miliband's team is working diligently to restore normal operations at the airports affected.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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