Hundreds of Flights Canceled After Technical Glitch at National Air Traffic Services

Passengers faced major delays and cancellations across UK airports this bank holiday, following a critical failure in the country’s air traffic control system. By Monday afternoon, over 500 flights had been affected, including 232 departures and 271 arrivals, as airlines struggled to cope with the fault.

The issue arose when National Air Traffic Services (NATS), responsible for coordinating air traffic in the UK, experienced a technical glitch that impacted the automated system responsible for processing flight plans. This forced air traffic controllers to manually input the flight details, resulting in slower processing times and significant delays.

The disruption affected some of the UK’s busiest airports, including Heathrow, where flights continued to experience delays well into the evening despite the system being fixed. Passengers were urged to check with their airlines for updates on flight times, as many experienced hours-long delays or were rerouted to alternative flights.

In addition to cancellations, passengers also reported confusion and frustration over compensation and assistance from airlines. Some travelers, including Irene Franklin, whose Delta flight was delayed for over a day, expressed their dissatisfaction at not receiving compensation for hotel stays or meals.

The technical failure was eventually resolved by 3:15 pm, and NATS worked closely with airlines to manage the affected flights. Transport Secretary Mark Harper reassured the public, confirming that efforts were being made to minimise further disruption. However, with a high volume of affected flights, many passengers found themselves stuck without clear information on when they would be able to travel.

As air traffic returns to normal, authorities are investigating the cause of the system failure, with a thorough review of the incident expected to follow.