Cyberattack ruled out in UK air traffic glitch as more flights axed
LONDON: UK air travellers faced more misery Wednesday with 177 flights scrapped across the country, as Britain’s air traffic control service scrambled to recover from a technical glitch which it ruled out as a cyberattack.
On Wednesday, UK air travellers faced further inconvenience as 177 additional flights were cancelled across the country due to a technical glitch at air traffic control. FlightRadar24 reported the latest cancellations, noting that nearly all were at London Heathrow, the busiest airport in Britain. The head of the National Air Traffic Services (NATS), Martin Rolfe, confirmed that they had ruled out a cyberattack as the cause of the incident.
NATS assured that they would conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the disruption, which officials warned would take some time to recover from. UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander summoned Rolfe to discuss the matter, and the head of Ryanair called for Rolfe's resignation, accusing him of failing UK travellers. Heathrow Airport announced that departures had resumed, but warned of ongoing disruption, urging passengers to check with their airline before traveling.
This latest incident adds to a series of air traffic issues in recent years, with the worst air systems failure occurring in 2023, affecting over 700,000 passengers.
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