Airlines across the United Kingdom are racing to recover from a massive disruption that began on Tuesday when a technical fault in the national air traffic control system forced the cancellation of over 2,000 flights. The outage, traced to an issue in the flight‑processing system operated by NATS, has left passengers stranded on runways and in terminals at 15 airports.
Government response and investigation
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander met with NATS chief Martin Rolfe on Wednesday and gave him a week to complete a full investigation, emphasizing the need for lessons to be learned. Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s office affirmed that Rolfe retains the confidence of the government. The UK government holds a 49% stake in NATS, making it the largest shareholder and granting a veto over key decisions.
Airlines’ reaction
Airlines have expressed frustration, with some calling for Rolfe’s resignation after this being the second major air‑traffic incident in three years. They are working through Wednesday to rebook stranded passengers and reposition aircraft that were left at the wrong airports.
Passenger impact
Passengers have faced long waits and limited information. Cartoonist Charlie Adlard, traveling from western England to a convention in Sicily, described the chaos at Heathrow and the difficulty reaching British Airways by phone. He ultimately decided to return home after incurring hotel and meal costs.
At Gatwick, travelers were seen sitting on bare floors beside their luggage, while Heathrow urged passengers to check flight status before heading to the airport and to travel only if flights were confirmed. Heathrow added that extra staff were deployed across terminals to assist travelers while coordination with NATS and airline partners continues.
Outlook
Rolfe apologized for the inconvenience but stressed that the UK’s air traffic control system remains among the safest and most efficient worldwide. He noted that the outage was resolved on Tuesday afternoon, but the backlog will likely persist through the day as airlines continue to clear delayed and canceled flights.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
