UK's Secretary of Transport attributes ATC disruption to a "technical flaw"
The UK experienced a disruption in its air traffic control system last week, resulting in over 150 flight cancellations and delays. The glitch, which occurred around 4pm and lasted approximately 20 minutes, was radar-related and primarily affected operations at Heathrow Airport.
According to reports, the air traffic control system stoppage was resolved by switching to a backup system. The exact nature of the radar-related failure was not specified, but it was noted that this incident at NATS' Swanwick control centre is the second technical failure in two years.
UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the recent glitch as an "isolated event." She expressed gratitude to airlines for working hard to resume flights and get passengers to their destinations. Graham Lake, a former director general of Canso, noted that the glitch was "short and sweet" and "the recovery was quick."
The technical disruption in the UK air traffic control system last year, which caused multiple disturbances and over 150 site restrictions, was primarily due to a system failure involving outdated technology and a software fault. No exact single cause was publicly detailed.
Alexander also stated there is no evidence of malign activity in the technical fault. Traffic was reduced during the resolution process to maintain safety, and some flights were diverted to other European cities due to the disruption.
Regarding the impact on passengers, no information was given about compensation offered. Ryanair has called for the resignation of the NATS chief executive officer, citing a lack of learning from previous outages.
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