A significant failure in the UK aviation system has disrupted travel for tens of thousands of passengers, with effects expected to linger into Wednesday. Authorities have ruled out a cyber attack and promised a thorough investigation to determine the causes, according to reports.
Up to 1,000 flights have been cancelled due to the failure of Nats, the company responsible for air traffic control in the UK, as reported by FlightRadar24.
The disruption has affected the entire UK and extended beyond its borders, with airports in Scotland and Ireland also experiencing delays. EasyJet has cancelled 200 flights, while British Airways has scrapped over 100.
With take-offs halted, authorities also had to restrict landings, leaving many planes unable to depart from foreign airports.
At London Heathrow Airport, the situation worsened as the airport ran out of space on the ground. The blockage of planes on the runway left terminals without available spots for new arrivals, forcing 13 international flights to divert to other cities in Europe.
Impact at Otopeni Airport
Passengers, including those heading to Henri Coandă Airport in Bucharest, faced significant disruptions.
According to Pro TV News, in addition to delayed flights, three services departing from London were permanently cancelled — one since yesterday afternoon and another that was supposed to land this morning in Otopeni.
“We found out on the plane that we would see how long it would take to leave, probably in three hours; in the end, it took four,” recounted a passenger for the cited source.
Travelers departing from the capital to the UK also faced issues, with some being turned back just before boarding.
Although Nats managed to resolve the problem with the flight processing system, returning to normal operations will be lengthy due to significant accumulated delays and the large number of affected aircraft and passengers, BBC reports.
Wizz Air and Ryanair Call for Reform
Amid this major disruption, major airlines have reacted strongly, demanding a complete overhaul of the control system.
Ryanair, the largest airline in Europe by passenger numbers, announced that over 65,000 of its customers were directly affected by severe delays, some extending up to eight hours.
Wizz Air has also directly criticized Nats, stating officially that the organization is “unsuitable for the purpose it is meant to serve” in its current form.
Transport Minister Demands Explanations
Nats director Martin Rolfe has apologized and stated to BBC that a full investigation will be conducted to establish what went wrong, after the agency noted that resolving the issue took “longer than anticipated.”
Transport Minister Heidi Alexander has summoned Rolfe to a meeting on Wednesday to answer questions regarding the disruptions and the measures taken. She is also expected to inform MPs that a cyber attack was “categorically not” the cause of the failure.
