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| UK flights affected by computer problems | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Flights in southern England have suffered delays because of air traffic control computer problems. | |
| Nats, the national air traffic control body, said UK airspace was not shut, nor were all flights in and out of the UK suspended - as one airport had said. | Nats, the national air traffic control body, said UK airspace was not shut, nor were all flights in and out of the UK suspended - as one airport had said. |
| Nats said operations were returning to normal following technical work carried out at its Swanwick, Southampton, control centre. | |
| Contingency plans had been put in place to minimise disruption, it added. | |
| Nats provides air traffic navigation services to aircraft flying through UK controlled airspace and at several UK and international airports. Its website said it handled 7,086 flights on Monday. | |
| Jersey Airport had tweeted just after 10:00 BST on Tuesday that the computer failure at Swanwick had "resulted in the temporary suspension of all flights in and out of UK air space." | Jersey Airport had tweeted just after 10:00 BST on Tuesday that the computer failure at Swanwick had "resulted in the temporary suspension of all flights in and out of UK air space." |
| In an update 25 minutes later, the airport said there was "once again movement in UK skies. However, some delays may result." | In an update 25 minutes later, the airport said there was "once again movement in UK skies. However, some delays may result." |
| The airport said passengers could check-in as usual. | The airport said passengers could check-in as usual. |
| Technical problem 'corrected' | |
| Flights were also delayed at East Midlands Airport and Southampton Airport. | |
| Southampton Airport told passengers: "A widespread air traffic control issue is currently affecting all flights to and from Southampton Airport. Air traffic control are currently working to resolve this issue as soon as possible but please check with your airline for the most up-to-date information." | Southampton Airport told passengers: "A widespread air traffic control issue is currently affecting all flights to and from Southampton Airport. Air traffic control are currently working to resolve this issue as soon as possible but please check with your airline for the most up-to-date information." |
| A spokeswoman for Gatwick Airport said "there are minor delays particularly with flights to Jersey, where the airspace issue is happening." | A spokeswoman for Gatwick Airport said "there are minor delays particularly with flights to Jersey, where the airspace issue is happening." |
| She said flights from Europe could be delayed by the restrictions placed around Jersey's airspace. | She said flights from Europe could be delayed by the restrictions placed around Jersey's airspace. |
| Low-cost operator Easyjet said there were no delays or flight problems at present. It flies mainly from Gatwick and Luton. | Low-cost operator Easyjet said there were no delays or flight problems at present. It flies mainly from Gatwick and Luton. |
| Heathrow Airport, the UK's largest hub, said "everything was running fine", and British Airways said all its flights were operating as scheduled. | Heathrow Airport, the UK's largest hub, said "everything was running fine", and British Airways said all its flights were operating as scheduled. |
| In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, Nats said it had "identified and corrected the technical problem that has been affecting air traffic control systems in the south of England". | |
| It went on: "Operations are now returning to normal and we are working with the airports, airlines and Eurocontrol to clear the backlog of flights to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum. Outbound delays from the UK have generally been limited to 20 minutes. | |
| "We regret any inconvenience this technical problem has caused, however our first priority will always be the safety of the flying public." |