London airspace closed today: What caused the major flight disruptions at Heathrow and Gatwick airports?

London airspace closed today: Passengers across the UK faced sudden travel chaos on Wednesday afternoon when a major technical fault hit the country's air traffic control systems, grounding flights and throwing travel plans into disarray, as per a report.

Radar System Failure Halts Flights at Major UK Airports

The disruption began when radar systems used in the London Control Area experienced a critical glitch, halting all take-offs and landings at some of the UK’s busiest airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick, as per The National report.

While the issue was resolved within about an hour, airports warned that delays and cancellations could stretch into the evening and possibly beyond as the backlog of grounded flights was addressed, as per The National report.

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Gatwick Says Outbound Flight Suspensions Amid Technical Issue

Shortly after the glitch began, London Gatwick confirmed all outbound flights had been paused, saying in a statement, "A technical issue impacting NATS is affecting all outbound flights across the UK. There are currently no departures from London Gatwick while the situation is being resolved," as per an X post on its official account.

London Gatwick also wrote in the X post, "We are working with NATS to resume flights as quickly as possible. Inbound flights are still landing at the airport. Passengers should check the status of their flights with their airline," as per the X post.

Airports Nationwide Feel Ripple Effect of Air Traffic Glitch

It wasn’t just London feeling the ripple effect. Even Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Stansted, and East Midlands airports all reported flight groundings, according to The National report.

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NATS Identifies and Resolves Fault, But Delays Expected

NATS, which manages the majority of UK air traffic services, later said the fault had been identified and the issue was resolved about an hour after it was first reported and is in the “process of resuming normal operations," as per The National report.

However, with so many flights affected in such a short period, delays and cancellations are expected to continue for the rest of the day, according to the report.

Transport Secretary Advises Passengers to Check Flight Status

Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander MP addressed the issue on X, saying, "I have been informed systems have now been restored but continued disruption is expected, and passengers should check with individual airports for advice."

FAQs

What caused the flight cancellations across the UK?
A major technical fault in the UK’s air traffic control radar systems led to a pause in take-offs and landings at key airports, as per The National report.

Are flights still delayed after the fault was fixed?
Yes, delays and cancellations are expected to continue due to the backlog caused by the disruption, as per The National report.