Holidaymakers have been warned that delays could continue for days after an air traffic control (ATC) system failure grounded flights across London airspace. The technical glitch, which occurred at a control centre in Hampshire at around 4pm on Wednesday July 30, led to a 20-minute shutdown of the system, creating a backlog of delays during the busy summer period.
Nats, the company that operates the UK's air traffic control, confirmed that the issue was caused by a radar failure, which was resolved by switching to a backup system. However, the incident has left thousands of passengers stranded on runways or facing cancellations, with industry experts warning that the knock-on effects could persist for several days.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander acknowledged the ongoing disruption, urging passengers to check with individual airports for the latest advice. The government has faced mounting pressure from airlines, who have criticised Nats for failing to prevent a repeat of the August 2023 outage that similarly disrupted travel.
Ryanair's chief operating officer, Neal McMahon, called for the resignation of Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe, stating that “it is clear that no lessons have been learnt” and that passengers continue to suffer from “shambolic ATC service”. EasyJet's chief operating officer, David Morgan, expressed disappointment, demanding assurances that such failures will not recur.
Consumer group Which? indicated that compensation is unlikely, as the technical issue may be classified as an “extraordinary circumstance” beyond airlines' control. However, passengers delayed for extended periods may be entitled to food and hotel accommodation, depending on the length of the delay. Travellers are advised to monitor airport and airline updates for the most current information.
