Nats statement
Interruption to Air Traffic Control Service (Updated 11:00)
NATS’ Flight Data Processing (FDP) system at West Drayton, which developed a fault at 09.30 this morning was restored to full operations by 09.50. The restrictions that had been imposed on flights - and which led to delays for some travellers – have all now been lifted and our controllers are working with airports and airlines to clear the backlog and restore the schedules.
Throughout the period NATS controllers were able to operate normally using radar and radio systems which were unaffected.
NATS emphasises that safety has not been compromised and regrets any inconvenience caused.
Regrettably, we also received news that the Maastricht air traffic control centre suffered a service interruption from 10.00 UK time this morning. We have no reason to believe that the failures are connected, but this inevitably will lead to further travel delays on flights to and from some parts of Europe. We believe that Maastricht Centre is also now fully operational.
Ian Hall, NATS’ Director Operations said: “We sincerely apologise to those who have been inconvenienced this morning. We did everything we could to restore the full ATC service as quickly as possible and minimise the delays and impact on the day’s schedules.
He added: “A new FDP system sits at the heart of our £1 billion modernisation programme. It will enable us to deliver the robust service our customers expect.”