Flight Data Issues Trigger UK Air Traffic Control Failure

A significant air traffic control malfunction resulted in extensive flight disruptions, leaving numerous passengers stranded both domestically and internationally. The root cause of this disruption was attributed to issues with the reception of flight data.

Martin Rolfe, the CEO of National Air Traffic Services (Nats), disclosed that the primary and backup systems experienced a suspension of automatic processing during the incident. In his statement, Mr. Rolfe clarified that there is no evidence to suggest that the malfunction was the result of a cyber-attack.

Furthermore, Mr. Rolfe sought to provide assurance by emphasizing that all Nats systems have been operating normally since Monday afternoon, effectively supporting the seamless functioning of airlines and airports.

He said: ‘Very occasionally technical issues occur that are complex and take longer to resolve.  In the event of such an issue our systems are designed to isolate the problem and prioritise continued safe air traffic control. This is what happened yesterday. At no point was UK airspace closed but the number of flights was significantly reduced. Initial investigations into the problem show it relates to some of the flight data we received.’

‘Our systems, both primary and the back-ups, responded by suspending automatic processing to ensure that no incorrect safety-related i

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