British Airways airplane
UK flights hit by air traffic control disruption
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Glasgow Airport says a technical issue at the NATS Prestwick Centre is disrupting some departures and arrivals, with further disruption expected.
- A BBC reporter at Glasgow Airport says the departures board shows growing cancellations and widespread delays to domestic and international flights.
Flights across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England were disrupted on Monday after a technical issue at the UK’s air traffic control provider affected operations, according to Reuters and the BBC.
National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said engineers were investigating the problem at its Prestwick Centre in Scotland. To manage air traffic safely while the issue was being addressed, restrictions were imposed, affecting flights heading north and those departing Scottish airports.
Manchester Airport reported delays of up to an hour, while airports in Scotland and Northern Ireland also experienced disruptions. Edinburgh Airport reported delays and cancellations, while airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, including Dundee, Inverness and Islay, said their schedules were affected.
Belfast City Airport also reported several cancellations involving flights to and from Manchester, Amsterdam, London City, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Belfast International Airport advised passengers to check with their airlines for the latest information.
NATS said airports south of Manchester, including those serving London, were broadly unaffected, although some flights traveling north were delayed. The provider apologized for the disruption and advised passengers to contact their airlines for updates.
The incident comes less than two weeks after a separate NATS technical failure caused widespread disruption across the UK, with more than 2,000 flights cancelled. NATS said Monday’s issue was unrelated to that earlier software defect.
The latest disruption has drawn renewed attention to the resilience of the UK's air traffic control system. EasyJet said the incident raised questions about NATS systems and called for action to prevent repeated failure.
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