**New Air Traffic Control Failure Delays Flights at Some UK Airports**
Flights at various airports across the United Kingdom faced significant delays on Monday due to a failure in the air traffic control system, as reported by NATS, the country’s air traffic control provider. This incident comes less than two weeks after a separate technical issue had already caused widespread flight disruptions across the nation.
Airports including Manchester, Glasgow, and Belfast were particularly affected, with delays attributed to a problem at the Prestwick control center in Scotland. Other major airports, such as London Gatwick and London City, also reported some level of disruption, although they were not as severely impacted as those in the north.
British Transport Minister Heidi Alexander addressed the situation, indicating that the connectivity issue had been resolved and that systems were beginning to return to normal. "I know this will be deeply frustrating for passengers after the previous issue," she stated on social media platform X.
The latest failure has had a considerable impact on air travel, with Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, announcing that approximately 25,000 of its passengers were experiencing delays as a direct result of the air traffic control failure. Ryanair has been vocal in its criticism of NATS and has reiterated calls for the resignation of NATS Chief Executive Martin Rolfe, citing repeated failures as a cause for concern.
EasyJet also reported that it had to cancel several flights due to the disruptions, while British Airways warned its customers to expect potential delays on Monday. NATS confirmed that by 0858 GMT, a total of 24 flight cancellations had already occurred.
In a statement, NATS clarified that the connectivity issue on Monday was "unrelated to the issue two weeks ago," which had resulted from a software defect that led to the cancellation of around 2,000 flights and affected hundreds of thousands of passengers. This prior outage in August 2023 was estimated to have cost airlines approximately £100 million ($134 million) and created significant travel chaos across the UK.
Despite the assurance from NATS that the current issue was distinct from the previous one, easyJet expressed concerns about the reliability of the air traffic control systems. The airline emphasized that the latest disruptions highlight ongoing vulnerabilities within NATS' operational framework. "This, once again, calls into question the resilience of NATS’ systems and demonstrates the need for firm actions to prevent these repeated failures," easyJet stated.
As the situation develops, passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest updates regarding flight statuses and potential delays. The UK air travel sector is under scrutiny as it grapples with these recurring issues, and the response from both the government and air traffic control authorities will likely shape future discussions on air travel reliability in the country.