UK air traffic control breaks silence with statement on flight chaos

UK Air Traffic Control has issued a statement as radar issues cause travel chaos at major UK airports. London Heathrow and London Gatwick have seen all flights grounded, leaving travellers stranded. The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) says: "As a result of a technical issue at NATS Swanwick air traffic control centre, we are limiting the number of aircraft flying in the London control area in order to ensure safety, which is always our first priority.

"We apologise for any delays this may cause. Our engineers are working hard to resolve the problem as quickly as possible and we are working closely with airlines to help minimise disruption. At this stage we cannot say how long it will be before operations are back to normal. Please check with your airline on the status of your flight."

The major Air Traffic Control failure has also affected Birmingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Stansted, Manchester, Gatwick, and Luton.

Gatwick confirmed the technical issue, meaning no departures can take place while the situation is ongoing.

Furious passengers have taken to social media as they are left stranded around the country during the summer holidays.

One person due to land at Heathrow said on X that they are currently circling Ben Nevis as there is nowhere safe to land.

Another disgruntled passenger said they have been sitting on the runway for over 40 minutes, "going nowhere".

They wrote on X: "Going nowhere as no departures from @HeathrowAirport for the last 40 minutes. Apparently 'the radar isn't working'. @British_Airways crew being fab."

Amid the chaos, the radar fault that forced the airspace closure has been fixed, NATS said, but delays are likely to continue this evening

A spokesperson said: "Our engineers have now restored the system that was affected this afternoon. We are in the process of resuming normal operations in the London area.

"We continue to work closely with airline and airport customers to minimise disruption. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused."