At Faro Airport, a British woman reports that the pilot announced the possibility of waiting on the runway for up to five hours before the flight took off.
UK’s National Air Traffic Control Service – NATS It said on Monday that it was experiencing a “technical problem” – in the original acronym – and would restrict the flow of flights until the failure was resolved. “We are currently experiencing a technical issue and are using air traffic controls to maintain safety. Engineers are working to identify and resolve the issue,” a spokeswoman for the organization said, as quoted by Reuters.
A BBC Dublin Airport confirmed a number of flight cancellations in a statement, advising passengers to check the status of their own flights in advance. Similar advice has been issued by Luton Airport in London and Birmingham Airport.
On the British station, a NATS source underlined that despite the restrictions, British airspace was not closed.
A source from ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal admitted to CNN Portugal that the restrictions in UK airspace could have “some impact” on flights to and from the UK at all national airports and delays or cancellations. However, some flights must follow, as the total closure of airspace is not at risk, so ANA advises passengers departing or arriving at Portuguese airports to contact airlines for more information on the status of flights scheduled for this Monday.
oh Guardian Testimony from Sarah Major, a British woman, says she was at Faro Airport with her husband and two children, aged two and four, and was told there could be a delay of several hours. “At eleven in the morning, we were on a bus to depart for a flight that was supposed to take off at 11:25. After a ten-minute wait, we got off the bus and were told there was a system malfunction. UK and all flights were grounded until further notice,” he explained. They boarded later, but were informed by the pilot that there was a long line and, therefore, they would have to wait over five hours for takeoff.
Scottish company Loganair had already warned on social media that there was a problem with the UK air traffic control system and that international flights could be delayed.
This morning there was a network-wide failure of UK air traffic control computer systems. We believe we can operate most intra-Scotland flights based on local coordination and minimal disruption, both north-south and international flights.
— Loganair (@FlyLoganair) August 28, 2023
According to Reuters, several passengers took to social media to complain that they were inside planes on the runway. The situation should have more impact this Monday as it is a public holiday in the UK and many will be taking advantage of the long weekend travel.
Reuters cited a witness who was on the plane on the runway in Budapest and said passengers were told by the pilot that a computer failure had forced the closure of all British airspace and they would face delays of 8 to 12 hours.
“Total creator. Devoted tv fanatic. Communicator. Evil pop culture buff. Social media advocate.”
