Gatwick and Heathrow warn of delays after air traffic control meltdown
Airports including Gatwick and Heathrow have warned of further delays as they work to clear a backlog of flights following disruption to the country’s traffic control system yesterday. Both of the London hubs said flights had resumed on Wednesday but warned of longer wait times and urged passengers to check if their flights were going [...]
Gatwick and Heathrow airports have issued warnings of potential delays as they endeavor to clear a backlog of flights following a disruption to the nation's air traffic control system. Both major London airports reported that flights had resumed on Wednesday, yet cautioned passengers of longer wait times and advised checking the status of their flights before traveling.
Heathrow stated, "Following yesterday’s NATS technical issue, flights are operating today, but some disruption may continue as airlines reposition aircraft and crew. Please check your flight status with your airline before travelling to the airport and only travel if your flight is confirmed to be operating."
The disruption occurred yesterday when NATS, the British air traffic control organization, reported that its systems had failed. This led to hundreds of departing flights being delayed and/or cancelled. NATS acknowledged the issue had now been resolved, but recovery efforts were expected to take longer than anticipated. The airline company Ryanair has called for government intervention to address the UK's "chronic" air traffic control problems.
Neal McMahon, Ryanair's Chief Operations Officer, urged the removal of NATS CEO Martin Rolfe and for ministers to appoint someone capable of managing the task.
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