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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| UK flights returning to normal after software glitch | UK flights returning to normal after software glitch |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Normal service is being resumed at the UK's major airports after cancellations and delays during the weekend. | Normal service is being resumed at the UK's major airports after cancellations and delays during the weekend. |
| Thousands of passengers had travel plans disrupted when a software failure struck the air traffic control centre at Swanwick early on Saturday morning. | Thousands of passengers had travel plans disrupted when a software failure struck the air traffic control centre at Swanwick early on Saturday morning. |
| The glitch was fixed by 19:30 GMT. | The glitch was fixed by 19:30 GMT. |
| On Sunday, Heathrow - the worst affected airport - reported 18 cancellations, while Gatwick and Stansted said they had been operating flights smoothly all day. | |
| The breakdown occurred when the National Air Traffic Service (Nats) computer system was making the switchover from the quieter night time mode to the busier daytime setup. | The breakdown occurred when the National Air Traffic Service (Nats) computer system was making the switchover from the quieter night time mode to the busier daytime setup. |
| It was unable to handle the normal volume of flights for a Saturday and said it dealt with 20% fewer than it would have expected. | It was unable to handle the normal volume of flights for a Saturday and said it dealt with 20% fewer than it would have expected. |
| Nats stressed that safety was never at risk. | Nats stressed that safety was never at risk. |
| 'No compensation' | 'No compensation' |
| A spokeswoman for Heathrow Airport, which had cancelled 228 flights by 18:55 GMT on Saturday, said the few cancellations on Sunday were "mostly due to crew displacement". | A spokeswoman for Heathrow Airport, which had cancelled 228 flights by 18:55 GMT on Saturday, said the few cancellations on Sunday were "mostly due to crew displacement". |
| "Apart from that we are pretty much running as normal," she added. | "Apart from that we are pretty much running as normal," she added. |
| A Stansted Airport spokesman said there had been no problems on Sunday, while a Gatwick Airport spokeswoman said: "We've been back to business as usual from this morning." | A Stansted Airport spokesman said there had been no problems on Sunday, while a Gatwick Airport spokeswoman said: "We've been back to business as usual from this morning." |
| Airports affected on Saturday also included Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds Bradford, Doncaster Robin Hood, Belfast International, Dublin and Newcastle. | Airports affected on Saturday also included Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds Bradford, Doncaster Robin Hood, Belfast International, Dublin and Newcastle. |
| Overnight, airports were advising passengers to check their flight's status before travelling. | Overnight, airports were advising passengers to check their flight's status before travelling. |
| By 16:00 GMT on Saturday, Nats said it had handled 2,576 flights compared with 2,905 at the same time last week. | By 16:00 GMT on Saturday, Nats said it had handled 2,576 flights compared with 2,905 at the same time last week. |
| Ryanair said 300 of its flights had been delayed on Saturday, with 12 cancelled. | Ryanair said 300 of its flights had been delayed on Saturday, with 12 cancelled. |
| It criticised Nats in a statement, saying: "While we acknowledge problems can occur, where is the contingency?" | It criticised Nats in a statement, saying: "While we acknowledge problems can occur, where is the contingency?" |
| Delays at Stansted on Saturday averaged two to four hours, a spokeswoman for the airport said. | Delays at Stansted on Saturday averaged two to four hours, a spokeswoman for the airport said. |
| Eurocontrol - which manages European air safety - said around 1,300 flights, or 8% of all air traffic on the continent, had been "severely delayed". | Eurocontrol - which manages European air safety - said around 1,300 flights, or 8% of all air traffic on the continent, had been "severely delayed". |
| The Association of British Travel Agents said that frustrated passengers would not be entitled to compensation. | The Association of British Travel Agents said that frustrated passengers would not be entitled to compensation. |
| "In a situation like this it's not actually deemed to be the airlines' fault," head of communications Victoria Bacon told BBC News. | "In a situation like this it's not actually deemed to be the airlines' fault," head of communications Victoria Bacon told BBC News. |
| Nats said in a statement on Saturday evening: "The reduction in capacity has had a disproportionate effect on southern England because it is extremely complex and busy airspace and we sincerely regret inconvenience to our airline customers and their passengers." | Nats said in a statement on Saturday evening: "The reduction in capacity has had a disproportionate effect on southern England because it is extremely complex and busy airspace and we sincerely regret inconvenience to our airline customers and their passengers." |
| The communications failure was a totally different issue to a software problem that saw flights in southern England delayed due to "technical problems" in July, according to the BBC's transport correspondent Richard Westcott. | The communications failure was a totally different issue to a software problem that saw flights in southern England delayed due to "technical problems" in July, according to the BBC's transport correspondent Richard Westcott. |