Aircraft have been grounded at airports in Britain and Scotland due to a technical failure that occurred on Wednesday afternoon (30/9). According to reports, flights have been grounded at London airports Gatwick and Heathrow, as well as Edinburgh, following a “technical problem” with air traffic control.
The UK air traffic control authority announced it is restricting the number of aircraft flying in the London control area for safety reasons. “The problem is due to a technical issue at the NATS Swanwick air traffic control center,” the authority stated characteristically.
London City and Gatwick airports have declared that the air traffic control problem is affecting departures.
“Safety is the priority”
“Due to a technical problem at the NATS Swanwick air traffic control center, we are restricting the number of aircraft flying in the London control area to ensure safety, which is always our first priority,” the NATS air traffic control authority stated in its announcement.
It should be noted that it is still unknown how much time will be needed for airport operations to return to normal.
