UK Flights Disrupted as Air Traffic Control Problem Hits Scotland and the North

LONDON, September 21 — Flights in Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England have been delayed due to a problem in the air traffic control system, Britain’s air navigation service Nats announced today.

Nats said today’s problem is unrelated to the company’s software defect earlier this month, which caused the cancellation of more than 2,000 flights.

Edinburgh, Belfast and Manchester airports have reported delays and urged passengers to check the latest information with airlines.

A Nats spokesperson said this morning that the company’s engineers are continuing to investigate the problem at the air traffic control centre in Prestwick, Scotland.

According to him, airports in areas south of Manchester are not affected by the problem.

However, flights heading north, as well as flights departing from Scottish airports, are currently facing delays.

Nats urged passengers to contact or check information from their airlines, stressing that today’s problem is different from the one two weeks ago.

The company also apologised for the inconvenience caused.

Airline EasyJet said the latest problem raises questions about the resilience and reliability of Nats’s systems.

EasyJet said the malfunction of the air traffic control system at Nats’s Prestwick centre is causing delays and, in some cases, has led to flights not operating.

The airline said the situation shows the need for concrete measures to prevent a repeat of such problems and urged passengers travelling today to check the latest information on their flight.

Source: ATSH-DPA