NATS Failure Causes 1,300 UK Flight Cancellations

A technical failure in the UK’s air traffic control flight-processing system caused more than 2,000 cancellations across roughly 15 airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham. NATS said the fault was fixed Tuesday and ruled out a cyberattack, but it has not disclosed the precise cause; a government-ordered investigation and review are underway. Airlines continued repositioning aircraft and crews, causing widespread congestion, stranded passengers and baggage problems, while hundreds of thousands of passengers were estimated to have been affected. British Airways alone cancelled about 550 flights affecting more than 85,000 customers. NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe faced pressure to resign after previous major incidents, with airline executive Michael O’Leary calling his position untenable. The Civil Aviation Authority said compensation was unlikely because the disruption would probably qualify as an extraordinary circumstance, although airlines remain responsible for passenger care.