A significant air traffic control malfunction resulted in extensive flight disruptions, leaving numerous passengers stranded both domestically and internationally. The root cause of this disruption was attributed to issues with the reception of flight data.
Martin Rolfe, the CEO of National Air Traffic Services (Nats), disclosed that the primary and backup systems experienced a suspension of automatic processing during the incident. In his statement, Mr. Rolfe clarified that there is no evidence to suggest that the malfunction was the result of a cyber-attack.
Furthermore, Mr. Rolfe sought to provide assurance by emphasizing that all Nats systems have been operating normally since Monday afternoon, effectively supporting the seamless functioning of airlines and airports.
He said: ‘Very occasionally technical issues occur that are complex and take longer to resolve. In the event of such an issue our systems are designed to isolate the problem and prioritise continued safe air traffic control. This is what happened yesterday. At no point was UK airspace closed but the number of flights was significantly reduced. Initial investigations into the problem show it relates to some of the flight data we received.'
‘Our systems, both primary and the back-ups, responded by suspending automatic processing to ensure that no incorrect safety-related information could be presented to an air traffic controller or impact the rest of the air traffic system.'
The trouble began on Monday when over 25% of flights at UK airports faced cancellations.
Nats encountered what they labeled as a 'technical glitch,' rendering them unable to automatically process flight plans. Consequently, flights to and from UK airports were subject to restrictions while manual checks were conducted on these plans.
Although Nats reported the issue resolved at 3.15 pm on Monday, the disruption persisted into Tuesday due to aircraft and crews being displaced.
An analysis of flight data websites conducted by the PA news agency revealed that on Tuesday, a minimum of 281 flights, encompassing both departures and arrivals, were canceled at the UK's six busiest airports. Specifically, there were 75 cancellations at Gatwick, 74 at Heathrow, 63 at Manchester, 28 at Stansted, 23 at Luton, and 18 at Edinburgh.
In response to the air traffic control malfunction, EasyJet announced its plans to operate five repatriation flights to Gatwick and deploy larger aircraft on crucial routes.
It said: ‘During this traditionally very busy week for travel, options for returning to the UK are more limited on some routes and so easyJet will be operating five repatriation flights to London Gatwick over the coming days from Palma and Faro on August 30, and Tenerife and Enfidha on August 31 and from Rhodes on September 1.
‘We are also operating larger aircraft on key routes including Faro, Ibiza, Dalaman and Tenerife to provide some additional 700 seats this week.’