UK Airspace Chaos: ATC Glitch Resolved, Delays Persist

UK airports plunged into chaos this afternoon as a significant technical issue at the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) Swanwick control centre brought outbound flights across the country to a standstill. Thousands of passengers face extensive delays and cancellations as aviation authorities work to restore normal operations.

The disruption began in the mid-afternoon, with major hubs including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Edinburgh Airport confirming that departures were being held. Edinburgh Airport released a statement saying, "All departures from Edinburgh Airport are currently being held. We are waiting for further information from NATS and will provide updates when possible." Similarly, London Gatwick reported, "A technical issue impacting NATS is affecting all outbound flights across the UK. There are currently no departures from London Gatwick while the situation is being resolved. Inbound flights are still landing at the airport."

NATS, the UK's primary air traffic control provider, issued a statement confirming the technical problem at its Swanwick centre, which is responsible for managing a vast portion of UK airspace, particularly the critical London control area. "As a result of a technical issue at NATS Swanwick air traffic control centre, we are limiting the number of aircraft flying in the London control area in order to ensure safety, which is always our first priority," NATS stated. The exact nature of the technical fault, described by some sources as a "total systems outage" affecting radar or flight management systems, has not been fully disclosed.

The ripple effect of the outage was immediate and far-reaching. Flight tracking websites showed numerous aircraft holding in patterns above the UK, while others were diverted to alternative airports or held on the ground at their departure points abroad. Passengers at affected airports reported long queues and uncertainty, with airlines advising travellers to check their flight status directly.

Updated Information:

System Restored: As of 4:25 PM BST, NATS announced that its engineers have successfully restored the affected system. The company is now in the process of resuming normal operations in the London control area.

Minimising Disruption: NATS stated they are working closely with airline and airport customers to minimise the ongoing disruption.

Apology Issued: NATS has apologised for any inconvenience caused by the technical issue.

Wider Impact: The issue affected all outbound flights across the UK, not just those in the London control area. While inbound flights were generally still landing, the knock-on effect of grounded departures will lead to significant delays and potential cancellations throughout the evening and possibly into tomorrow.

Safety Priority: NATS consistently emphasised that the limitation on flights was a necessary safety measure.

While the immediate technical issue has been resolved, the aviation industry anticipates a significant knock-on effect across UK air services. Travellers are advised to continue checking with their individual airlines for the latest updates on their specific flights, as delays and cancellations are expected to persist while the system fully recovers and the backlog of flights is cleared.