A technical failure in the British air traffic control system is causing significant delays this Tuesday at some of the main airports in the United Kingdom. The incident particularly affects departing flights and has forced the introduction of restrictions to manage traffic, although the British airspace is not closed and some planes continue to take off.
National Air Traffic Services (NATS), responsible for British air navigation services, has confirmed that its engineers are working to resolve the problem. Pending the definitive scope of the incident, these are the keys to the air chaos in the United Kingdom this September 8.
What has happened in the air control of the United Kingdom?
The origin of the disruptions is a technical problem in the air traffic control system managed by NATS.
The agency communicated shortly before 14:00 that it was investigating the incident after it began to cause interruptions in departures. NATS indicated that its engineers were working to solve the problem and recommended that passengers consult directly with their airlines.
For the moment, the specific cause of the failure has not been officially communicated nor how long it will take to resolve it.
Which airports are affected?
The disruptions affect several of the busiest airports in the country. Among those that have reported problems are Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, London City, and Manchester.
Heathrow has explained that the problem is particularly affecting departures and that it is working with NATS to restore normalcy. The airport itself has information about the status of each flight updated minute by minute.
The impacts do not mean that all flights have been halted. Some planes continue to take off, although significant delays are being recorded, while others remain held awaiting authorization.
Is British airspace closed?
No. The United Kingdom has not closed its airspace.
The incident forces a limit on the number of flights that can be managed simultaneously, but traffic continues. Hence, the situation may translate into long waits and restrictions without a complete suspension of operations.
This difference is important for travelers: a delayed flight does not necessarily mean it will be canceled.
Why can an air traffic control failure cause so many delays?
Air traffic operates like an interconnected network. When a control center reduces its capacity to manage airplanes, Eurocontrol can regulate the number of flights entering that airspace to avoid saturation.
This explains that the incident can also affect passengers who have not yet departed for the United Kingdom. Some flights destined for London may remain held at their departure airports until there is a slot that allows them to join the traffic.
The impact can then extend to subsequent flights. An airplane arriving two hours late in London may be the same one that was supposed to operate another route later, thus transferring the delay to the next leg.
How long can the restrictions last?
According to the operational information released by Eurocontrol and gathered in the initial reports about the incident, the disruptions could last until approximately 21:00 hours, particularly affecting the airspace of London, southern England, and Wales.
This schedule does not mean that flights will automatically return to normal at 21:00 hours. It is the window initially contemplated for the restrictions and may change as the incident evolves.
Even after the technical problem is resolved, airlines may need several hours to reposition aircraft and crews and absorb the backlog of delayed flights.
What should passengers flying today to the United Kingdom do?
Airports and NATS recommend checking the flight status directly with the airline before traveling.
At Heathrow, for example, the airport provides updated departure information minute by minute.
Travelers with flights during the afternoon and evening should keep in mind that the situation can change rapidly. Just because a flight initially appears scheduled does not rule out a subsequent delay if restrictions continue.
Can it affect flights between Spain and the United Kingdom?
Yes. The restrictions can affect any connection that needs to operate in the affected airports or airspace sectors, including routes between Spain and the United Kingdom.
The specific effect will depend on each flight, airport, and company. There is currently no general suspension of connections between the two countries, so passengers should individually check the status of their flight.
The incident occurs, moreover, at a time of high activity in the European network. Eurocontrol recorded an average of 36,581 daily flights during the last week of August and expects peaks of between 37,000 and 37,500 operations during the Fridays of September.
When will airports return to normal?
The answer depends first on NATS completely resolving the technical problem and being able to recover its usual capacity.
After that, it will be necessary to absorb the accumulated delays. Therefore, even if the system returns to normal operation, delays may persist for several hours.
The priority for passengers is to check the information provided by their airline and the departure airport, as there is still no official time for the complete recovery of traffic.