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UK flight chaos: Independent inquiry set up | UK flight chaos: Independent inquiry set up |
(about 3 hours later) | |
An independent inquiry is to be set up to investigate the air traffic control computer failure which disrupted flights at UK airports last week. | An independent inquiry is to be set up to investigate the air traffic control computer failure which disrupted flights at UK airports last week. |
National Air Traffic Services (Nats) has blamed a software glitch at its centre at Swanwick in Hampshire. | National Air Traffic Services (Nats) has blamed a software glitch at its centre at Swanwick in Hampshire. |
The inquiry will look at Nats' handling of the episode and whether lessons were learned from previous failures. | The inquiry will look at Nats' handling of the episode and whether lessons were learned from previous failures. |
Later, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin will be questioned by MPs about the incident. | Later, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin will be questioned by MPs about the incident. |
The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says it will appoint an independent chair to lead the inquiry, which will take evidence from experts on information technology and air traffic control. | The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says it will appoint an independent chair to lead the inquiry, which will take evidence from experts on information technology and air traffic control. |
The computer failure caused huge problems at airports around the country on Friday - including delays at Heathrow and Gatwick, where departing flights were grounded for a time. Other UK airports reported knock-on effects. | The computer failure caused huge problems at airports around the country on Friday - including delays at Heathrow and Gatwick, where departing flights were grounded for a time. Other UK airports reported knock-on effects. |
Heathrow Airport also cancelled about 40 flights on Saturday morning before normal services resumed. | |
It comes a year after a telephone failure at the Hampshire control room which also caused flights to be disrupted - one of a number of technical hitches to hit the partly-privatised Nats since the Swanwick centre opened in 2002. | It comes a year after a telephone failure at the Hampshire control room which also caused flights to be disrupted - one of a number of technical hitches to hit the partly-privatised Nats since the Swanwick centre opened in 2002. |
The transport secretary said the system failure was "unacceptable" and asked for a full explanation from Nats about what went wrong. | |
The BBC's political correspondent Robin Brant said Mr McLoughlin could expect to have a preliminary report from Nats on his desk on Monday morning. | |
He will face questions from MPs on the transport select committee on Monday afternoon. | He will face questions from MPs on the transport select committee on Monday afternoon. |
'Dreadful' disruption | 'Dreadful' disruption |
On Sunday, Business Secretary Vince Cable accused Nats of "skimping on large-scale investment" and being "penny wise and pound foolish". | |
But Nats chief executive Richard Deakin rejected the criticism. | |
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Friday's issue was not "down to a lack of funding" - rather it was "one error, or limitation, in four million lines of code". | |
"Over the next five years we are spending around £575m on new systems," he said. "We have the funding that we need to deliver the service that we require." | |
He insisted the public had not been put at risk as there were "processes and procedures in place to make sure that even if there are glitches, everything remains safe". | |
Labour MP Paul Flynn has called for Mr Deakin to be docked bonuses in his salary because of the "dreadful" disruption. | Labour MP Paul Flynn has called for Mr Deakin to be docked bonuses in his salary because of the "dreadful" disruption. |
Mr Deakin told the BBC he expected his pay to be affected by the incident but stressed that Nats' performance over the year had been good. | |
"I haven't done the calculations on that yet, my time since Friday has been very much focused on getting everything back up and running," he said. | |
The chairwoman of the transport select committee, Louise Ellman, said it was "vital that we establish what happened". | The chairwoman of the transport select committee, Louise Ellman, said it was "vital that we establish what happened". |
She said her committee would also call Nats and the Civil Aviation Authority to give evidence. | She said her committee would also call Nats and the Civil Aviation Authority to give evidence. |
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