Major UK flight disruption hits 4,000 flights

LONDON: A major technical failure affecting the UK’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) flight processing and radar systems has been resolved, with the systems now restored.

The disruption severely affected flight operations at 15 major airports across the United Kingdom, including London Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Luton and Glasgow.

More than 4,000 flights were estimated to have been affected nationwide. Around 1,305 flights were cancelled, while approximately 2,700 others were delayed.

At London Heathrow, 527 flights were cancelled and another 430 faced delays. London Gatwick recorded 260 cancellations and 312 delays, while London Stansted saw 122 cancellations and around 300 delayed flights.

Flight delays at several airports reportedly reached between 150 and 200 minutes. The technical failure also forced authorities to divert dozens of flights to alternative airports.

NATS technical teams and engineers worked through the night to identify the cause of the failure and restore the affected systems.

The disruption caused widespread delays and cancellations for passengers across the country, with airport authorities and airlines working to manage the backlog after the systems were brought back online.

Although the air traffic control systems have now been restored, passengers may continue to face delays as airlines work to return flight schedules to normal.