## Air Traffic Control Glitch Disrupts European Flights
On Monday, an air traffic control glitch resulted in the cancellation of approximately 1,500 flights, causing widespread disruption across Europe. The knock-on effects are predicted to last for several days, with numerous passengers left stranded at airports. The British government has been working with airlines to ensure these passengers can return home.
The incident occurred on a public holiday in parts of Britain, coinciding with the end of school holidays, and thereby marking one of the busiest travel days. Air traffic controllers were forced to switch to manual systems due to a technical problem, leaving thousands of passengers stuck at various European airports.
Maria Ball, a holidaymaker from Liverpool, described being stuck at the airport for around seven or eight hours, explaining that she was “left high and dry”. Eventually, she found a flight to Paris’ Charles De Gaulle airport, from where she was due to embark on a four-hour journey by hire car to reach home.
## Response from Airlines and Government
Martin Rolfe, the CEO of Britain’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS), apologized for the technical failure. He explained that the issue related to some of the flight data they received. Both the primary and backup systems reacted by suspending automatic processing to ensure the accuracy of safety-related information.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper warned that it would take days to resolve the issues, even though the fault was fixed within a few hours on Monday. The flight cancellations resulted in the displacement of planes and crews.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed understanding of people’s frustrations, adding that the Transport Secretary was in constant dialogue with all industry participants. He was due to speak with airlines to ensure they take the necessary steps to get passengers home as quickly as possible.
Harper chaired a meeting with NATS, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), airlines, airports, trade bodies, and Border Force. He announced that the government would be reviewing a report from NATS in the coming days. Government officials do not believe the technical issue, the first on this scale for a decade, was the result of a cyber attack.
## Airlines Aim to Rectify Situation
Aviation analytics firm Cirium revealed that 790 flights departing British airports and 785 flights set to arrive were cancelled on Monday. This equates to just over a quarter of all flights into or out of the country being affected.
Ryanair, Europe’s biggest airline, promised to return to a normal schedule by Wednesday. However, CEO Michael O’Leary criticised NATS’ handling of the situation, questioning the cause of the failure and the lack of backup systems.
British Airways pledged to work hard to “get back on track” and offered passengers flying short-haul routes the opportunity to change their flight dates free of charge.
EasyJet acknowledged that the knock-on impact led to some flights being cancelled on Tuesday morning. Heathrow Airport, Britain’s busiest hub, advised passengers to contact their airline before travelling to the airport on Tuesday.
Original Story at www.reuters.com – 2023-08-29 20:08:34
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