Some UK departing flights disrupted by technical issue
A technical problem with air traffic control is disrupting some flights across the UK.
Some departing flights at airports across Britain were disrupted on Tuesday after air traffic control provider NATS experienced a technical issue, Heathrow Airport said, adding that arriving flights were not currently affected.
Heathrow said it was working with NATS to resolve the problem as quickly as possible, Reuters reports.
Back in 2023, a technical problem at NATS led to widespread disruption across UK airports…
Key events
Less happily, budget airline easyJet has reorted that the UK air traffic control system failure is causing delays to flights across Europe, with some flights unable to operate (Reuters reports).
Happily, the impact at Cardiff Airport due to the air traffic technical issue is “currently minimal”.
A spokesperson for Cardiff Airport said:
“A technical issue affecting Nats Air Traffic is causing some disruption to flight departures across parts of the UK.
“The impact at Cardiff Airport is currently minimal though we’d encourage passengers to check directly with their airline or travel operator for the latest information on the status of their flight.”
Anna-Marie Duthie, travel insurance expert at financial ratings company Defaqto, has sent over some advice for passengers affected by today’s flight disruption:
“If there is a significant delay to your flight, your airline should be covering the costs of essentials you’ll need during that delay. Such as food and drink, phone calls and if necessary overnight accommodation including transport to the hotel.
Insurers and Airlines could class issues as ‘extraordinary circumstances’, which ultimately means it is a situation beyond their control and could not have been foreseen or avoided. As a result, you may not be entitled to compensation as it is not considered to be the airlines’ ‘fault’ and therefore they are not liable.
That being said, the above refers to ‘compensation’. Transport providers and tour operators do have a responsibility to either provide a reasonable alternative or a full refund should a flight not go ahead as planned. If a replacement flight is offered but is delayed, depending on the distance being travelled, the Civil Aviation Authority do set out under what circumstances you would have a legal right to claim for compensation.
Travel Insurance may also cover you if you cannot claim costs back from the airline, operator, or credit card but that will all depend on whether your policy includes cover for delay, travel disruption, missed connection or abandonment.”
Flightradar24 also shows that a Japan Airlines flight from Toyko to London is being diverted to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
The flightradar24 app suggests that a lot of planes at Heathrow Airport in London are pretty much static on the ground right now, with nothing obviously taking off or landing at this moment…
NATS: recovery will take some time
National Air Traffic Services have confirmed that the technical problem scuppering flights today is within its flight processing system.
It says staff are ‘working urgently’ to fix it, but warns that ‘recovery will take some time’.
Posting on X, it says:
ℹ️ Technical issue
We have identified that the issue was in our flight processing system. Our engineers are on site and working urgently to resume normal operations as quickly as possible. We recognise the ongoing disruption to travel, for which we sincerely apologise.
Flights are still departing and airspace is open, but recovery will take some time. We will provide further updates as soon as possible.
Passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline. We will provide further updates as soon as we have confirmed information, at and on X at @NATS.
BA: We’re being disrupted
British Airways has confirmed that it is “experiencing some flight disruption” as a result of a technical issue at NATS, and is in touch with customers.
A number of flights from Heathrow this afternoon are delayed, or even cancelled.
The airports departure page shows that certain flights to cities including Bengaluru, Hamberg, Madrid, Derry and Amsterdam are delayed.
Cancelled flights include services to Amsterdam, Zagreb, Berlin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Dubrovnik, Pisa and Valencia.
Birmingham Airport has said the air traffic technical issue is affecting airspace in the south of the UK.
A Birmingham Airport spokesperson said:
“There is currently an air traffic technical issue affecting airspace in the south of the UK, which is impacting a significant number of departing flights across the country.
“We apologise to customers whose journeys have been impacted.
“Passengers are advised to arrive at Birmingham Airport (BHX) in line with their airline’s check-in requirements and to contact their airline directly for the latest flight information and updates.”
Edinburgh Airport is hoping NATS can fix the technical problem fast!
They’ve posted on X:
We are aware of a technical issue affecting which may impact operations. We are working closely with air traffic control, airlines and other partners, and hope @NATS can resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Manchester and Stansted airports are also affected by the UK’s air traffic control technical issue, Reuters report.
ITV: Heathrow, Gatwick, Southend, Isle of Man and Jersey Airports all affected
Heathrow, Gatwick, Southend, Isle of Man and Jersey Airports are all affected by today’s disruption, ITV News report.
A spokesperson for Jersey Airport said:
“UK air traffic control is currently experiencing issues which is impacting flights across the UK including services between Jersey and UK.
Passengers are advised to check the latest flight information directly with their airline.”
NATS apologises for delays
Britain’s National Air Traffic Services have apologised for the problems affecting flight departures today.
Posting on X, NATS confirms there is a ‘technical issue’:
ℹ️ Technical issue We are investigating a technical issue which is causing some disruption to flight departures. Our engineers are on site and we will provide an update as soon as we can.
We apologise for the delay this will cause to journeys, passengers should check with their airline on the status of their flight. We will provide updates on
Some UK departing flights disrupted by technical issue
A technical problem with air traffic control is disrupting some flights across the UK.
Some departing flights at airports across Britain were disrupted on Tuesday after air traffic control provider NATS experienced a technical issue, Heathrow Airport said, adding that arriving flights were not currently affected.
Heathrow said it was working with NATS to resolve the problem as quickly as possible, Reuters reports.
Back in 2023, a technical problem at NATS led to widespread disruption across UK airports…
Bailey: Food inflation has been lower than expected
Labour MP Julie Minns turns the Treasury committee’s attention to agriculture, and the impact of recent hot weather.
She explains that she recently visited the UK’s largest sheep auction, and saw that lambs are being sold earlier than usual – which means farms are receiving lower prices, but are forced to sell because the pasture hasn’t been there this year.
Andrew Bailey replies that the agricultural sector is important, and the Bank has noted that yields have been lower on cereal crops, such as winter wheat, spring barley and oats.
Internationally, El Ninos have historically affected the prices of rise, coffee, cocoa and palm oil.
Bailey says, though, that food prices haven’t risen as fast as expected yet:
Food price inflation has come in under where we thought it would.
However, I think unfortunately this is another area where the risks are. On the upside, we have built into our forecast stronger, stronger food inflation by the end of the year.
Bailey: No secret plan to raise interest rates unconditionally
Bailey then insists that the Bank of England doesn’t have a “secret plan” to raise interest rates.
He says he sometimes get quite frustrated that some of his comments are interpreted as unconditional statements. They are conditional, he insists, because the world is uncertain.
Governor Andrew Bailey then tells MPs that mortgage rates in the UK have risen faster than in most, if not all, other major countries.
He says:
UK mortgage rates now are typically at the moment about 75 basis points [three quarters of a percentage point] higher than they were at the point when the conflict broke out.
I think with the possible exception of Japan, although that’s a little hard to map, that’s the largest increase in mortgage rates in the G7.
About the Author
