Second day of chaos at UK airports after air traffic control glitch
Days of disruption are expected for travellers using UK airports after a technical issue in the air traffic control system grounded hundreds of flights. The issue, which emerged on Tuesday afternoon, has been resolved but the knock-on effect means further flights were delayed or cancelled today. Heathrow , Gatwick and other major airports experience problems, with more than 1,000 flights affected…
Technical glitches at UK air traffic control led to a second day of chaos at major airports on Wednesday. Over 1,000 flights were affected, with roughly 150 cancellations recorded by Wednesday morning, compared to over 1,750 on the previous day. Heathrow, the busiest airport in the UK, and Gatwick, the other major hub in London, reported delays and cancellations as they scrambled to recover from the disruption.
The boss of the National Air Traffic Services, Martin Rolfe, apologized for the issue, which emerged on Tuesday afternoon, but faced calls to resign after three major breakdowns during his decade-long tenure. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander summoned Rolfe to explain the situation, expressing concern over the system's resilience.
Nats, the company overseeing air traffic control, ruled out a cyber attack, stating it was too early to determine the true cause. The company assured that they would conduct a thorough investigation. Despite the inconvenience, Nats maintained that their system is among the best in the world.
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