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Fault which caused UK air traffic control meltdown won't happen again: NATS head

Thousands of passengers are stranded abroad after 1,500 flights were cancelled on Monday and disruption to schedules persisted into Tuesday

Published: Wed 30 Aug 2023, 11:27 AM

  • By
  • Reuters

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Passengers wait at Gatwick Airport, south of London, on August 29, 2023 after UK flights were delayed over a technical issue. -- AFP

Passengers wait at Gatwick Airport, south of London, on August 29, 2023 after UK flights were delayed over a technical issue. -- AFP

The air traffic control glitch which caused thousands of flight cancellations and delays into and out of Britain on Monday has been fixed and there will be no repeat of the issue, said the head of the country's air traffic control provider, NATS.

Thousands of passengers are stranded abroad after 1,500 flights were cancelled on Monday and disruption to schedules persisted into Tuesday. The peak holiday time period means those affected are not being offered alternative flights for days.

Martin Rolfe, the CEO of NATS, the company which operates Britain's air traffic control systems, said on Wednesday the technical problem was caused by a flight plan which was "not sufficiently standard".

He said the issue had since been fixed.

"We've worked incredibly hard since we restored the service back on Monday to make sure that this type of event can't happen again," he told the BBC.

Ryanair criticised NATS for not having a back-up system. Airlines are now scrambling to help passengers return.

Rolfe said NATS was trying to help the airlines.

"We are working incredibly closely with them to make sure that we help them recover as quickly as they possibly can, and as efficiently as they possibly can," he said.



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