Air Traffic Control Issue Causes Nearly 2,000 Flight Cancellations in the UK

An air traffic control problem in the UK led to the cancellation of nearly 2,000 flights, affecting tens of thousands of passengers. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, over 1,750 flights were cancelled on Tuesday, with an additional 153 cancellations reported on Wednesday. Nats, the air traffic control provider, attributed the disruption to a technical glitch. Nats CEO Martin Rolfe issued an apology and confirmed that a full investigation will take place, acknowledging that resolving the issue took longer than expected. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has called Rolfe to a meeting to discuss the situation, and she is expected to clarify that a cyber attack was 'categorically' not the cause of the fault. On Wednesday, disruptions continued as passengers faced delays and cancellations. Rolfe stated that while the systems are now operating normally, there is a significant backlog of flights and passengers. He emphasized that Nats has invested over £1 billion in technology over the past 25 years, maintaining that the organization is 'fit for purpose.' Despite this, Wizz Air criticized Nats, claiming it is 'not fit for purpose in its current form' and called for urgent reform. Nats has confirmed that the system issue has been resolved and is working to clear the backlog. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest flight information as disruptions are expected to continue.