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UK flights return to normal after air traffic control glitch UK flights return to normal after air traffic control glitch
(about 2 hours later)
Flight schedules have returned to near-normal following a day of cancellations and delays at London's main airports caused by a technical problem with air traffic control telephone systems.Flight schedules have returned to near-normal following a day of cancellations and delays at London's main airports caused by a technical problem with air traffic control telephone systems.
About a fifth of all flights were cancelled at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports while others faced delays of up to two hours following the problem at the National Air Traffic Services' (Nats) control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire, which deals with air traffic in the south of England.About a fifth of all flights were cancelled at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports while others faced delays of up to two hours following the problem at the National Air Traffic Services' (Nats) control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire, which deals with air traffic in the south of England.
Luton, Southampton, London City, Cardiff, Bristol, Bournemouth, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dublin airports also reported delays. Luton, Southampton, London City, Cardiff, Bristol, Bournemouth, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dublin airports also reported delays.
Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted advised passengers on Sunday morning that flights were running as normal, though Heathrow's website advised passengers to check flight times before travelling to the airports. Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted advised passengers on Sunday morning that flights were running as normal, though Heathrow's website advised passengers to check flight times before travelling to the airports.
A Nats spokesman said on Saturday evening that the problem in the area control operations room at Swanwick, which began during a switch from night to day operations, had been fixed, adding that the issue had not affected passenger safety.A Nats spokesman said on Saturday evening that the problem in the area control operations room at Swanwick, which began during a switch from night to day operations, had been fixed, adding that the issue had not affected passenger safety.
He said: "To be clear, this is a very complex and sophisticated system with more than a million lines of software. This is not simply internal telephones, it is the system that controllers use to speak to other [air traffic control] agencies both in the UK and Europe and is the biggest system of its kind in Europe.He said: "To be clear, this is a very complex and sophisticated system with more than a million lines of software. This is not simply internal telephones, it is the system that controllers use to speak to other [air traffic control] agencies both in the UK and Europe and is the biggest system of its kind in Europe.
"This has been a major challenge for our engineering team and for the manufacturer, who has worked closely with us to ensure this complex problem was resolved as quickly as possible while maintaining a safe service.""This has been a major challenge for our engineering team and for the manufacturer, who has worked closely with us to ensure this complex problem was resolved as quickly as possible while maintaining a safe service."
Passengers at Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, suffered delays of more than an hour on many morning departures, and several dozen short-haul flights to destinations including Nice, Milan and Istanbul were cancelled.Passengers at Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, suffered delays of more than an hour on many morning departures, and several dozen short-haul flights to destinations including Nice, Milan and Istanbul were cancelled.
A Stansted airport spokesman said all of its departing flights had been subject to delays of between 30 minutes and two hours, while Gatwick said 20% of its departures had been delayed, with passengers warned they could have to wait "a couple of hours". A Stansted airport spokesman said all of its departing flights had been subject to delays of between 30 minutes and two hours, while Gatwick said 20% of its departures had been delayed, with passengers warned they could have to wait "a couple of hours".
One passenger, Daisy McAndrew, said she had been caught in the "unholy mess" at Gatwick as she tried to fly to Barcelona for work.One passenger, Daisy McAndrew, said she had been caught in the "unholy mess" at Gatwick as she tried to fly to Barcelona for work.
"As ever, staff have been fantastic but they know nothing other than the fact it is going to be a very, very long delay – very frustrating," McAndrew told Sky News."As ever, staff have been fantastic but they know nothing other than the fact it is going to be a very, very long delay – very frustrating," McAndrew told Sky News.
"And also, it's embarrassing, isn't it? When you look around a lot of people on my plane are not British, they are flying British Airways, they are probably trying to get back to Spain and they will inevitably be thinking this is something that could have possibly been prevented. It doesn't show our air traffic control system or our travel system in a good light."And also, it's embarrassing, isn't it? When you look around a lot of people on my plane are not British, they are flying British Airways, they are probably trying to get back to Spain and they will inevitably be thinking this is something that could have possibly been prevented. It doesn't show our air traffic control system or our travel system in a good light.
"I have never heard of an example where every single plane is grounded – it's quite eerie when I look out of the window to see the [runway] in Gatwick, normally so busy, and also the sky above Gatwick which is normally busy – completely static. There's nothing moving.""I have never heard of an example where every single plane is grounded – it's quite eerie when I look out of the window to see the [runway] in Gatwick, normally so busy, and also the sky above Gatwick which is normally busy – completely static. There's nothing moving."
A spokesman for Cardiff airport said all flights on Saturday morning had been affected. Incoming flights from Glasgow, Dublin and Amsterdam were delayed with no estimated time of arrival.A spokesman for Cardiff airport said all flights on Saturday morning had been affected. Incoming flights from Glasgow, Dublin and Amsterdam were delayed with no estimated time of arrival.
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