Air traffic control faults on this scale ‘haven’t been seen for a decade’, transport secretary says
The transport secretary has apologised for yesterday’s nationwide air traffic control fault – saying issues on this scale “haven’t happened for a decade”.
Mark Harper stressed that technical experts have ruled out a cybersecurity incident, with the Civil Aviation Authority set to investigate.
“Something on this scale hasn’t happened for almost a decade – normally the system works very well,” Mr Harper told Sky News.
Thousands of passengers were affected by yesterday’s disruption – with aviation analysts warning there could be knock-on effects for days to come.
And there have been reports of heated scenes at airports across Europe, with “fists flying” in Palma as exasperated tourists struggle to return home.
Heathrow Airport says services will remain “significantly disrupted” today – and passengers are being urged to contact their airline before heading to the terminal.
Elsewhere, London Gatwick said it plans to operate a normal schedule on Tuesday following the disruption.
However, passengers have been advised to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport.
London Stansted also said it planned to run a normal flight schedule on Tuesday, but added “our terminal may be busier than anticipated”.
And major UK airlines such as Tui and BA warned of “significant delays” for passengers amid changes to schedules.
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