Thousands of holidaymakers faced travel chaos yesterday after a technical fault with the UK's air traffic control system grounded flights across the country. National Air Traffic Services (NATS) reported a 'technical issue' that led to the closure of airspace above London, affecting all international departures. The fault was resolved by around 4.43pm, but knock-on delays continued.
Airports including Birmingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Stansted, Newcastle, Manchester, Gatwick, Heathrow and Luton were affected. Passengers took to social media to express frustration, with many stuck on runways for hours. Some faced missing important events such as weddings.
John Carr, a chiropodist from Stourbridge, was due to fly from Heathrow to Norway for his brother's wedding, where he is best man. His flight was cancelled after check-in. He said: 'I'm pretty gutted. We've got loads of stuff in the suitcases to set up the venue... It's quite stressful.' His friend James Hedges added that they were in the departures lounge when the flight was cancelled.
Monica Clare, 68, from London, was hoping to attend a wedding in Limerick but her flight from Heathrow was cancelled after a three-hour wait on the runway. She said: 'It looks like we're missing the wedding.' Asha, 18, from Manchester, said her first interrailing holiday was ruined after her flight to Amsterdam turned around mid-air.
NATS confirmed the issue was fixed but warned of ongoing disruptions. Passengers were advised to check with their airlines for updates.
