Fault which caused UK air traffic control meltdown won't happen again - NATS head (updated)

Nordic American Tankers

30/08/2023 08:14

(Adds background, more NATS comments)
       LONDON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - 
    The air traffic control glitch which caused thousands of
flight cancellations and delays into and out of Britain on
Monday has been fixed and there will be no repeat of the issue,
said the head of the country's air traffic control provider,
NATS. 
  
        Thousands of passengers are stranded abroad after 1,500
flights were cancelled on Monday and disruption to schedules
persisted into Tuesday. The peak holiday time period means those
affected are not being offered alternative flights for days. 
  
        Martin Rolfe, the CEO of NATS, the company which
operates Britain's air traffic control systems, said on
Wednesday the technical problem was caused by a flight plan
which was "not sufficiently standard". 
  
        He said the issue had since been fixed. 
  
        "We've worked incredibly hard since we restored the
service back on Monday to make sure that this type of event
can't happen again," he told the BBC. 
  
        Ryanair  RYA.I  criticised NATS for not having a back-up
system. Airlines are now scrambling to help passengers return.
  
        Rolfe said NATS was trying to help the airlines.
  
        "We are working incredibly closely with them to make
sure that we help them recover as quickly as they possibly can,
and as efficiently as they possibly can," he said.
  

 (Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Kate Holton and Elizabeth
Piper)
 ((sarah.young@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 1109; Reuters
Messaging: sarah.young.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))