A technical failure at Britain’s air traffic control provider NATS forced Air India to divert, delay and cancel flights to and from UK airports…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Air India services to and from the UK were disrupted after a technical fault at Britain’s air traffic control provider NATS caused widespread delays, cancellations and diversions at airports across the country.
Air India said on Wednesday that the disruption had affected multiple flights operating to and from UK airports, with some services being delayed, cancelled or diverted.
The airline also warned that the impact could continue to affect other flights as aircraft and crew were left out of position following the disruption.
In a travel advisory posted on X, Air India urged passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and are making every effort to minimise disruptions as much as possible,” the airline said.
More than 1,000 flights were cancelled across Britain following the technical failure, according to flight tracking data, as the disruption affected operations at several major airports.
NATS, which manages air traffic control across Britain, said the disruption was caused by a technical problem with its flight processing system.
The fault affected a number of airports, including London’s Heathrow, Edinburgh and Manchester, disrupting both departures and arrivals.
NATS later confirmed that a technical fix had been implemented and that the system problem had been resolved. However, the air traffic control provider warned that it would take time to clear the backlog of flights created by the disruption.
“Our system issue is now resolved. We are operating normally and working as hard as possible to clear the backlog of flights,” NATS said.
Despite the system returning to normal, airlines and airports continued to face the challenge of managing delayed passengers and aircraft that had been left out of position.
Heathrow said it was working closely with NATS to minimise the impact on passengers and flight schedules as services gradually returned to normal.
The disruption also affected flights between Britain and Ireland. Dublin Airport warned passengers that services to and from the UK could be affected by the air traffic control problems.
British Airways also confirmed that it was experiencing disruption as a result of the technical failure affecting Britain’s national air traffic control system.
For Air India passengers, the disruption raised the possibility of knock on delays beyond the initial period of the technical failure, as aircraft and crew schedules had been affected.
The airline therefore advised travellers to check the latest status of their flights before heading to airports and said it was continuing to monitor developments.
The incident comes after a technical failure at the country’s main air traffic control provider caused widespread disruption across the UK, affecting thousands of passengers and creating a significant backlog at major airports.
