A technical fault in the air traffic control system at the NATS center in Prestwick, Scotland, caused major problems for air traffic across the United Kingdom. It was the second serious incident recorded within two weeks.
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Data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, cited by the BBC, show that around 200 flights were cancelled on Monday. Of these, 100 were arrivals in the United Kingdom, while 99 were departures.
EasyJet was the airline most affected, cancelling 47 of its 670 scheduled departures. British Airways cancelled 11 of its 513 planned departures.
Glasgow and Belfast airports experienced the highest number of cancellations, according to Cirium, while airports in the London area were not significantly affected.
Following the latest incident, airlines and airports criticised National Air Traffic Services, NATS, over the second serious incident within a two-week period.
NATS announced that the technical fault in Scotland had been fixed and apologised for the difficulties caused. “We are working with airports and airlines to minimise any further disruption,” its statement said.
A NATS spokesperson clarified that the latest problem was not related to the disruption that occurred two weeks earlier.
The latest disruption occurred just two weeks after the incident on 8 and 9 September, when a software error led to the cancellation of more than 2,000 flights and caused widespread delays.
More than 330,000 passengers were affected during that incident.
Passengers affected by the latest NATS fault are not expected to receive financial compensation, the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority, CAA, said.
According to the CAA, the technical fault is highly likely to be classified as an “extraordinary circumstance” under the rules protecting passengers’ rights.
As a result, airlines must provide care to affected passengers, but are unlikely to be required to pay compensation for delays or cancellations caused directly by the technical incident.
NATS is still working with airports and airlines to restore normal operations and reduce further disruption.
