UK air traffic control glitch forces cancellation of over 1,000 flights

A technical problem in the flight-processing system of Britain’s National Air Traffic Services caused widespread disruption on Tuesday, affecting 15 airports across the United Kingdom. The issue was resolved by evening, but airlines and airports continued to clear a large backlog of delayed flights.

More than 1,000 flights were cancelled, with British Airways reporting over 100 cancellations or diversions and Ryanair citing disruption to more than 65,000 passengers and the cancellation of over 50 scheduled services. EasyJet said some flights were unable to operate and that the failure caused delays across Europe.

London Heathrow resumed departures but suspended arrivals for the night, warning of further delays. Other affected airports included Gatwick, Stansted, London City, Manchester, Birmingham and several locations in Scotland, all urging passengers to verify flight status with their airlines.

"The severity of the issue means there will be a significant knock-on impact," a British Airways spokesperson said, adding that the incident was beyond the airline’s control and caused frustration for customers and staff.

Passengers reported long waits on the tarmac and in terminals, with some aircraft remaining on the ground for hours. In one instance, a British Airways flight to Baltimore was delayed for four hours at Heathrow, during which flight attendants provided meals and passengers passed the time with onboard entertainment.