ARCHIVE – People watch as a British Airways plane lands in London. Photo: Kin Cheung/AP/dpa/Archive image
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Air traffic over the UK is currently experiencing significant delays. This is due to “technical problems” at the air traffic control center in Swanwick, which have been resolved, according to the air traffic control service Nats. “Our technicians have restored the affected system this afternoon,” the service told the German Press Agency.
The airspace over London was particularly affected, but planes at the airport in the Scottish capital Edinburgh were also grounded for a time. “We advise passengers to check with their airline before traveling,” the UK’s largest airport, London Heathrow, told dpa. According to Nats, the process of resuming normal operations in the airspace over London was underway in the afternoon.
Exactly which system was affected remained unclear at first. The problem, which slowed down a number of aircraft, was confirmed in an initial statement. Due to the problem, “the number of aircraft in the airspace over the London control area” had been limited, according to the initial Nats statement.
London is one of the largest air hubs in the world. At London’s major airports Heathrow and Gatwick, a number of planes are on their way to the runway but are unable to take off at their usual pace.