UK- UAE, Gulf travel: Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways updates after air traffic control outage

Gulf airlines Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways have updated passengers on flight disruptions caused by a technical failure in Britain’s air traffic control system. The outage affected flights to and from UK airports, as well as those operating through UK airspace. Almost 1,000 flights were disrupted across major British airports, with cancellations, diversions, and lengthy delays reported.

Emirates advised passengers to regularly check their flight status and monitor email notifications for updates. Etihad informed customers that several London Heathrow-Abu Dhabi flights were affected, with some flights cancelled and others expected to face extended delays. Qatar Airways warned passengers of delays and possible rerouting, advising them to check the latest flight information through its website and mobile app.

The NATS system, which manages air traffic control, was restored at 7:30pm UK time on September 8, but airlines are still working to clear the backlog. NATS chief Martin Rolfe acknowledged the system's disruption, stating that there was a "huge backlog" of flights and passengers to address. He emphasized that the airline industry's systems were "fit for purpose" despite the incident.

Airlines urged passengers to check directly with their respective carriers for the latest flight information, as delays and cancellations may continue while the backlog is cleared.