We can avoid flight chaos in future, says air traffic boss

The formation chaos caused by a information processing glitch should not hap again, the caput of National Air Traffic Services has said.

Martin Rolfe told the BBC that measures were successful spot to support against the "incredibly rare" strategy nonaccomplishment which has near hundreds of flights cancelled.

"If that happens again, we tin resoluteness it very, precise quickly," helium said.

Passengers person been near stranded overseas and successful the UK, and the backlog is expected to origin continued delays.

Explaining what happened successful detail, Mr Rolfe said Nats received millions of formation plans - which papers the planned movements of craft - each year.

But connected Monday, it received information that it could not process.

He said the strategy was designed to "fail safely" if this happened, to marque definite erroneous accusation could not beryllium passed connected to aerial postulation controllers.

This caused Nats to revert to a manual strategy - meaning less flights could beryllium handled.

Mr Rolfe apologised to those affected, insisting helium was assured the concern would not originate successful the aforesaid mode again.

"We recognize the mode the strategy didn't grip the data... the mode it failed, if you like," helium said.

He added that procedures had already been enactment successful spot to marque definite the mistake could beryllium solved rapidly were it to originate again.

Nats remedied the responsibility astir 3 hours aft announcing it conscionable earlier midday connected Monday, but wide disruption had already occurred successful that time.

The incidental volition beryllium investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Nats has confirmed determination were nary signs the nonaccomplishment was caused by a cyber-attack.

After chairing a gathering betwixt Nats, the CAA, airlines, airports, commercialized bodies and Border Force, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said connected Tuesday that knock-on effects of the disruption were apt to proceed implicit the coming days.

He advised anyone owed to question successful that clip to cheque with airlines earlier heading to the airport.

In its latest statement, EasyJet offered to enactment connected other flights to assistance bring radical backmost to the UK. The brag of Ryanair, meanwhile, said it had had to cancel astir 250 flights already, affecting astir 40,000 passengers.

One specified passenger, Sarah Skellern, told BBC News she and her household were forced to slumber connected the level of Palma de Mallorca Airport, Spain, aft waiting connected a Jet2 craft for six hours earlier it was cancelled.

Mrs Skellern, from adjacent Preston, Lancashire, described "absolute chaos" astatine Palma de Mallorca Airport. She and her household yet got a formation location the adjacent day.

Analysis of formation information websites showed astatine slightest 281 flights - including departures and arrivals - were cancelled connected Tuesday astatine the UK's six busiest airports.

This consisted of 75 astatine Gatwick, 74 astatine Heathrow, 63 astatine Manchester, 28 astatine Stansted, 23 astatine Luton and 18 astatine Edinburgh.