- Ryanair revealed that last week's air traffic control (ATC) failure resulted in 350 of its flights being cancelled on August 28 and 29.
- Over a quarter of all flights in and out of UK airports were disrupted on August 28, impacting around 250,000 travelers' plans.
- The root cause of the ATC breakdown, which triggered widespread industry turmoil, remains unexplained.
Massive Flight Cancellations due to ATC Issue
LONDON — Amid last week's air traffic control malfunction, Ryanair has disclosed that approximately 63,000 of its customers experienced flight cancellations. The Irish airline, in its monthly traffic report, specified that this disruption on August 28 and 29 led to the cancellation of over 350 of its flights.
The unexpected ATC glitch caused chaos throughout the aviation sector. On Monday, August 28 alone, it was reported that upwards of 25% of all flights going to or coming from UK airports faced cancellations. The National Air Traffic Services (Nats) found itself in a precarious position when it couldn't process flight plans using automated systems.
While the primary disruption spanned two days, the cascading effects persisted, throwing the travel arrangements of roughly 250,000 individuals into disarray. Despite the magnitude of the situation, Ryanair expressed frustration, noting that the actual cause behind the ATC failure remains elusive.
Airlines are seething over the incident's timing, which coincided with one of the busiest periods of the year. Many schools were concluding their summer breaks, leaving little to no room for flexibility across the industry.
easyJet's CEO, Johan Lundgren, vocalized the industry's concerns, calling for an independent investigation into the malfunction and emphasizing the need to prevent such incidents in the future.
In response, Nats attributed the disruption to an "unusual piece of data" it had received, which necessitated a shift to manual checks. They are currently undertaking a review of the incident and intend to present a preliminary report to Transport Secretary Mark Harper soon.
In a recent meeting with stakeholders, including Nats, the Civil Aviation Authority, airlines, and other relevant groups, Harper discussed the prevailing situation. He mentioned that post-meeting feedback indicated most affected travelers had finally reached their intended destinations. However, the aftermath of the ATC issue saw thousands of vacationers stuck abroad, as return flights from many sought-after destinations were packed to capacity.
