Over 150 UK flights cancelled after air traffic glitch

Air traffic control issues in the UK caused nearly 2,000 flights to be cancelled on Tuesday and a further 153 on Wednesday, affecting tens of thousands of passengers, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Nats, the air traffic control provider, attributed the disruption to a technical glitch, with its chief Martin Rolfe apologising for the extended resolution time.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described the situation as "frankly unacceptable," while Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander summoned Rolfe for a meeting to explain the incident. Alexander is set to address the House of Commons about the disruption, expecting to assure MPs that foreign cyber attack was not the cause. Passengers were advised to check their airlines for flight updates, as it would take time for disruptions to fully resolve.

Heathrow advised travelers to only proceed if they had a confirmed flight, while Gatwick reported resumed flights but anticipated a return to normal operations would take time. The fault was widespread across the UK and involved airports in Ireland. EasyJet and British Airways were among airlines affected, with EasyJet canceling 200 flights and British Airways over 100.

This is not the first time Nats' system has faced disruptions; a similar incident in 2023 affected 700,000 passengers. Wizz Air has called for an overhaul of Nats, describing it as "not fit for purpose." Rolfe emphasized that the UK generally has a good air traffic system, but acknowledged the current frustrations. Ryanair reported over 65,000 passengers delayed by up to eight hours, with Heathrow initially pausing departures and later facing further disruption due to a lack of outgoing flights.