All flights to and from the UK are reported to be affected and delays could last for days.
Issues with the UK’s air traffic control systems have grounded thousands of flights on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
Passengers on flights from countries all over Europe have been advised of long delays.
This will have a knock-on effect as airport runways get clogged up with flights that are not authorised to take off.
FlightRadar24 has posted an image showing hundreds of planes hovering in UK airspace.
NATS, the UK’s air traffic controlller, said in a statement: “We are currently experiencing a technical issue and have applied traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety. Engineers are working to find and the fix the fault. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
They issued a further statement clarifying that UK airspace is not closed, just restricted.
Social media users at airports around the UK have posted that they are watching flights depart and land.
How are passengers being affected?
One user reported being sat on the runway at Budapest airport for a flight to the UK and being told they may be delayed by 12 hours.
Another passenger booked on a flight from Liverpool to Belfast that has been delayed by seven hours. She posted a notice sent to her by Easyjet advising of an “air traffic control issue currently affecting all flights due to fly into or out of United Kingdom airspace.”
Should you still go to the airport?
Before leaving for the airport, check your airline’s app, website and social media channels for the latest advice.
You should also check the airport’s website departures or arrivals board for information.
For flights within Europe, you are advised not to arrive at the airport more than 2-3 hours before your flight to avoid overcrowding.
ADVERTISEMENTWhat is the advice from airlines?
Airlines seem to have little information on when the technical issue will be resolved or when airspace restrictions will be lifted.
Easyjet issued a notice to passengers saying, “We are working with the relevant authorities to understand the impact of this issue and the timescale for normal operations to resume.”
They said that for passengers already onboard, flight crew would keep them updated.
For passengers at the airport waiting to board, they advised them to check flight information screens in the terminal and the airline’s app and website Flight Tracker.
British Airways said in a statement, “We are working closely with NATS [National Air Traffic Services] to understand the impact of a technical issue that is affecting UK airspace, and will keep our customers up to date with the latest information.”
ADVERTISEMENTUK flights: How long are delays likely to last?
Travel expert Simon Calder told Sky News: “What you will find is that if you are on the ground at Heathrow and Gatwick which are the busiest single runways in the world.
“There is very little slack in the system. It’s going to be miserable. Meanwhile there and hundreds of planes up in the sky heading to the UK.
“What’s going to happen to those aircraft, will some of them get down if they are in the vicinity of the airfield.
Otherwise you will see planes held on the ground in places like Amsterdam or otherwise being diverted if they’re on a longer flight. That would typically be to a continental airport or an Irish airport.”
Is it still safe to fly?
Mr Calder told Sky News that the shutdown would not cause safety issues because the system was “designed to cope” with a shutdown and aircraft carried contingency fuel.
ADVERTISEMENTBut he added: “This is of course one of the busiest days of the year. There are hundreds of thousands of people flying into the UK, frankly this is the last thing anyone needs.
“It will at the very least have caused enough disruption for the system to be in disarray for certainly until the end of the day and possibly for a few further days ahead.”
The travel expert said air traffic controllers at Heathrow – the UK’s busiest airport – be forced to reduce the frequency at which flights are able to land.
He explained: “Normally you have flights landing typically every 90 seconds or so. They can switch away from the digital system and become much more analogue, bringing the aircraft in more manually. However, you are not going to be able to do it at the same rate.
“For Heathrow and Gatwick in particular there is so little slack in the system that it can cause problems. If you’re reducing the flow rate coming in and keeping aircraft on the ground at those airports it will be a very difficult afternoon.”
This article is being updated.
Source: Euro News
