A technical fault in Britain’s air traffic control system caused widespread disruption to flights on Tuesday, with airlines warning passengers about delays, diversions and cancellations.
Flight schedules were thrown into disarray at airports across the country, including London Heathrow, after the glitch affected operations. More than 600 flights were cancelled during the disruption, with major airports including Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted also affected.
Air India issued an advisory to passengers, warning that several of its flights operating to and from UK airports had been delayed, diverted or cancelled because of the technical fault at NATS, Britain’s air traffic control provider.
In a post on X, Air India said the disruption could have an impact beyond flights directly affected by the NATS failure.
The airline said aircraft and crew had been left out of position following the disruption, potentially causing delays to some of its other services.
Air India urged passengers travelling to or from UK airports to check their flight status before heading to the airport. The airline said it was closely monitoring the situation and working to minimise the impact on its operations.
The carrier also apologised to passengers for the disruption, describing the situation as beyond its control and thanking travellers for their patience and understanding.
British Airways was among the airlines significantly affected by the air traffic control failure. The airline said it had been forced to cancel or divert more than 100 flights on Tuesday afternoon, affecting tens of thousands of passengers.
Although NATS later informed the airline that the technical fault had been resolved, British Airways warned that the scale of the disruption would continue to affect passengers and staff.
The airline described the incident as an “incredibly frustrating experience” and said the disruption was entirely outside its control.
British Airways advised passengers whose flights had been cancelled not to travel to the airport. It also said customers who no longer wished to travel on Tuesday or Wednesday could move their flights free of charge until Friday, September 11.
