UK travellers are facing continued disruption as hundreds of flights have been cancelled following a technical issue that affected Britain’s air traffic control system.
Passengers are advised to check the Heathrow Airport flight operation status with their airline before travelling to the airport, as delays and cancellations are expected to continue.
More than 250 flights were cancelled across the UK on Wednesday, following around 1,300 cancellations involving UK airports on Tuesday.
According to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, 177 flights scheduled for Wednesday had already been cancelled, with the majority of the cancellations involving London Heathrow Airport.
Heathrow Airport flight operation status
The Heathrow Airport flight operation status remains affected by the disruption, although departures have resumed at the airport.
Heathrow previously suspended arrivals because of the technical problem and warned passengers that disruption would continue. The airport urged travellers to only travel if their flight has been confirmed as operating.
Passengers are therefore advised to check the latest Heathrow Airport flight operation status directly with their airline before heading to the airport.
NATS works to clear flight backlog
The National Air Traffic Services (NATS), which manages air traffic control services in the UK, said it was continuing efforts to help airlines and airports recover from the disruption.
NATS said the issue had been resolved but warned that the recovery process was complex and that it would take time for the wider aviation network to return to normal.
The technical problem affected the flight-processing system at NATS headquarters and caused widespread delays and cancellations across Britain.
President Zardari’s flight delayed
President Asif Ali Zardari’s return journey from Britain was also affected by the air traffic control problem. He is expected to travel to Pakistan via Türkiye following the disruption.
Passengers travelling from Pakistan to London are advised to check their airline’s latest flight status before travelling to the airport.
British Airways and Ryanair affected
British Airways said it was forced to cancel or divert more than 100 flights, affecting tens of thousands of passengers.
Ryanair also reported significant disruption, saying more than 65,000 passengers had been affected and more than 50 scheduled flights had been cancelled.
Several other airports were also impacted, including Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.
Passengers travelling through these airports have also been advised to check their flight status with their respective airlines.
Heathrow passengers urged to check flights
The ongoing disruption means passengers should check their individual flight status before travelling.
The latest Heathrow Airport flight operation status may change throughout the day as airlines work to clear the backlog created by the air traffic control failure.
Travellers are advised not to go to Heathrow unless their airline confirms that their flight is operating.
The disruption has also prompted criticism of the UK’s air traffic control system, with calls for lessons to be learned and improvements to be made to prevent similar incidents in the future.
For now, passengers should continue checking the Heathrow Airport flight operation status and remain in contact with their airlines for the latest information on cancellations, delays and schedule changes.
