A disruptive technical failure that caused extensive flight delays and cancellations throughout the United Kingdom was determined to be the result of issues with flight data received by Britain’s national air traffic controllers, rather than a cyberattack, according to authorities who made the announcement on Tuesday.
The incident occurred on a busy holiday Monday, which marks one of the peak travel days of the year, leaving thousands of travelers stranded at airports. Transport Secretary Mark Harper referred to it as the most significant incident of its kind in nearly ten years, predicting that it would take several days to resolve and restore normal travel operations.
The National Air Traffic Services conducted initial investigations and identified that the problem was related to the flight data they received. However, they did not provide specific details about the root cause of the issue.
Martin Rolfe, the chief executive of the National Air Traffic Services, stated that their systems responded to the problem by suspending automatic processing. This measure was implemented to prevent any potentially incorrect safety-related information from being presented to air traffic controllers or affecting the overall air traffic system. He further emphasized that their systems were designed to isolate the problem and prioritize the continued safety of air traffic control.
Amidst the chaos, a British Airways plane at London City Airport was captured in a photograph, symbolizing the disruption faced by the aviation industry during this incident.
Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported a staggering number of flight cancellations across all U.K. airports, with 790 departures and 785 arrivals affected on Monday. The repercussions of the disruption continued on Tuesday, impacting numerous passengers.
Heathrow, known as Europe’s busiest airport, experienced the cancellation of 32 departures and 31 arrivals on Tuesday. British Airways, which operates the most flights to and from Heathrow, was particularly hard hit.
Gatwick, London’s second-busiest airport, also faced similar disruptions on Tuesday.
Passengers who found themselves stuck at various airports throughout the U.K. expressed their frustration with the situation. One such passenger, Katrina Harrison, shared her experience of spending the night at Leeds Bradford Airport with her family, including her 1-year-old twin grandchildren. Their flight to Turkey was canceled, leaving them without food or a place to sleep. Harrison described the difficulties they faced, including the inability to retrieve their car from the parking lot. Despite their hardships, they remained hopeful of getting on a flight soon, with the alternative being a return home.
In light of this unfortunate incident, it is crucial for travelers to stay informed and make appropriate arrangements to mitigate potential disruptions during their journeys.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
