Air traffic controllers had to process flight plans by hand after a 'technical issue' caused travel chaos in the UK
- Flights to and from the UK are facing some delays after air traffic control problems.
- National Air Traffic Service said on Monday afternoon the issue had been "identified and remedied."
Flights to and from the UK faced delays Monday after the country's air traffic control operator suffered technical problems.
Britain's National Air Traffic Service (NATS) told Insider said it had "applied traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety" after experiencing a "technical issue" affecting its flight-planning system.
The issue had affected the system's ability to automatically process flight plans, meaning that they had to be processed manually "which cannot be done at the same volume, hence the requirement for traffic flow restrictions," it said.
NATS said in an update Monday afternoon that it had "identified and remedied" the problem and was working closely with airlines and airports to manage the affected flights. It apologized for the disruption and said that passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline, it added.
The problems come at the end of a holiday weekend in the UK.A representative for Heathrow, Britain's biggest airport, said on Monday morning: "As a result of national airspace issues there is disruption to flights across the UK. Passengers are advised to check with their airline for the latest information. We are working closely with NATS and other airport partners to minimise the impact this has on passengers."
"Delays, and cancellations are likely" at London Gatwick Airport, a representative told Insider. Manchester Airport similarly said there were still delays and cancellations on Monday afternoon.
Stansted, another London airport, posted on X it was "operating as normal" but told Insider in a statement that it the problems were "likely" to affect some flights.
Edinburgh told passengers they shouldn't come to the airport without first checking the status of their flight with their airline.
Passengers posted on X that they had been stuck on the tarmac waiting for their flights to and from the UK to depart.