Dublin Airport issue urgent warning as 'technical issue' in UK airports causes chaos
Dublin Airport have warned of delays to flights coming to and from the airport following chaos over a technical issue in the UK.
The issue occurred on Wednesday afternoon at around 4pm, which saw flights grounded in both Heathrow and Gatwick Airports and airspace in London temporarily restricted.
The technical issue, believed to be a radar issue, lasted about 30 minutes, but a knock on effect will see flights delayed across the board — with Dublin Airport saying that delays to flights departing from or arriving at the airport may be delayed.
‘Some delays to flights to and from Dublin Airport are possible this evening due to a now resolved air traffic control issue in the UK, which impacted on flights flying over the UK for a period of around 30 minutes earlier this afternoon,’ Dublin Airport wrote on Twitter (X).
‘Passengers due to fly this evening are advised to contact their airline directly for updates on their flight.’
NATS, who runs English and Welsh airspace, said in a statement that they experienced technical issues at the Swanwick Centre, saying at around 4pm ‘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 in order to ensure safety, which is always our first priority.’
Dublin Airport have warned of delays to flights coming to and from the airport following chaos over a technical issue in the UK. Pic: Collins Photos
‘We apologise for any delays this may cause. Our engineers are working hard to resolve the problem as quickly as possible and we are working closely with airlines to help minimise disruption. At this stage we cannot say how long it will be before operations are back to normal. Please check with your airline on the status of your flight.’
A later statement confirmed that the issue was resolved, saying ‘our systems are fully operational and air traffic capacity is returning to normal. Departures at all airports have resumed and we are working with affected airlines and airports to clear the backlog safely. We apologise to everyone affected by this issues.’
British Airways said that the issue affected ‘the vast majority of our flights,’ while Ryanair called for the resignation of NATS CEO Martin Rolfe, after what they said was ‘yet another’ system failure.
The incident lasted around half an hour on Wednesday afternoon, with flights in London Heathrow (pictured) and Gatwick grounded and airspace in London being restricted. Pic: Dinendra Haria/LNP/REX/Shutterstock
‘It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption due to Martin Rolfe’s continued mismanagement of NATS,’ Ryanair’s Neal McMahon said. ‘Yet another ATC system failure has resulted in the closure of UK airspace meaning thousands of passengers travel plans have been disrupted.’
The budget airline referenced another incident under Mr Rolfe’s leadership, saying that ‘no lessons have been learnt,’ and calling on the UK’s Transport Minister Heidi Alexander to intervene if Mr Rolfe didn’t resign.
