July 30, (THEWILL) — Thousands of passengers across the United Kingdom have been left stranded following a major technical fault in the country’s air traffic control system, grounding flights at several key airports.
A spokesperson for Birmingham Airport confirmed the disruption, stating, “Due to a national issue with air traffic control in the South of England, departing flights have been temporarily suspended. We will provide further updates and apologise for the inconvenience.”
Operations at other major hubs, including Heathrow and Gatwick, have also been affected.
In a statement, Gatwick Airport disclosed that all outbound flights had been halted, adding that the technical problem was impacting departures nationwide.
Amid mounting frustration, passengers have flooded social media with complaints, posting photos and videos from planes grounded on the tarmac.
“We are the same @manairport. Stuck on an @easyJet waiting to fly to Cyprus,” one user posted from Manchester Airport.
The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) confirmed that the fault originated from its Swanwick control centre and that it had been forced to restrict aircraft movements within the London control area.
“As a result of a technical issue at NATS Swanwick air traffic control centre, we are limiting the number of aircraft flying in the London control area to ensure safety, which remains our top priority,” the agency said in a statement.
Efforts to resolve the issue are ongoing, but NATS has not provided a timeline for when normal flight operations will resume.
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