About 1,100 flights to and from UK airports were cancelled on Tuesday following a technical problem with the country’s air traffic control system, disrupting thousands of travellers.
Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 reported that 1,055 flights had been cancelled by 8:00 p.m. (1900 GMT).
The UK’s air traffic control service, NATS, said its system issue had been resolved but warned that recovery had taken longer than expected.
“Our system issue is now resolved, we are operating normally and working as hard as possible to clear the backlog of flights,” NATS said on X, apologising for the disruption.
Heathrow and Gatwick airports were among those affected, while Liverpool, Birmingham and Edinburgh also reported disruptions. Dublin Airport in Ireland said dozens of flights had been cancelled as a result of the disruption.
British Airways said it had cancelled or diverted more than 100 flights, affecting tens of thousands of passengers, while Irish carrier Ryanair said more than 65,000 passengers were disrupted and over 50 flights cancelled.
Passengers described severe disruption at Gatwick, with healthcare worker Josie Donoghue telling the Press Association that she had to leave her flight to Ireland after spending three hours on the runway.
The disruption also affected Arsenal’s travel plans, forcing the Premier League club to cancel a press conference ahead of its Champions League match against Napoli in Italy on Wednesday after its flight was delayed.
The latest incident follows a major technical failure in July last year that caused widespread flight cancellations and delays and drew criticism from airline executives.
The UK experienced an even larger aviation systems failure in 2023, affecting more than 700,000 passengers.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was seeking assurances that lessons would be learned and that systems supporting the aviation sector were fit for purpose.
However, Ryanair Chief Operating Officer Neal McMahon renewed his call for NATS Chief Executive Martin Rolfe to be removed, accusing him of again failing UK travellers.
“Enough is enough, it’s time for the UK government to intervene,” McMahon said.
