UK air travel crisis could extend for days; passengers advised to plan accordingly

Passengers traveling by air are being advised to brace for potential prolonged flight disruptions due to a technical malfunction in the UK's air traffic control system, which left hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded on Monday.

Returning holidaymakers and those with departure plans from UK airports faced flight cancellations and delays of up to 12 hours owing to a widespread computer failure that impacted both outgoing and incoming flights.

The technical breakdown in the country’s air traffic control system resulted in a holiday weekend marred by frustration, with British media reporting the cancellation of 500 flights and a multitude of others grappling with substantial delays.

Britain’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) confirmed their engagement with the issue.

''We are collaborating closely with airlines and airports to manage the flights affected with utmost efficiency. Our engineers are meticulously monitoring the system's performance as we work towards resuming normal operations.''

"Safety is our utmost concern for every flight within the UK, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused. Please liaise with your airline for details on how this may impact your flight," the statement further elaborated.

British Airways conveyed that passengers with Monday or Tuesday travel arrangements could reschedule their flights without incurring any additional charges.

“As with all airlines navigating UK airspace, our flights have been substantially disrupted...While NATS has successfully resolved the matter, it resulted in significant and unavoidable delays and cancellations. We are exerting maximum efforts to expedite the travel of customers whose flights have been affected and express our profound apologies for the substantial inconvenience," the airline shared on X, the former Twitter.

Travel operator Tui also advised its clientele to brace for noteworthy delays on certain flights.