More Flight Cancellations at Heathrow After Technical Issue

New flight cancellations occurred today at Heathrow Airport in London, one day after a technical issue in the UK's air traffic control system. At least 16 flights were canceled, including routes to Brussels, Toronto, New York, and Berlin.

The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) announced that the problem was due to a technical malfunction. Despite the restoration of airport operations, cancellations continued.

Ryanair's Director of Operations, Neil McMahon, called for the resignation of NATS CEO Martin Rolfe, while EasyJet's Director of Operations, David Morgan, expressed disappointment at the problems caused to customers.

British Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she would meet with Rolfe to review the incident and prevent its recurrence. In March, a fire at an electrical substation caused problems at Heathrow Airport.

In late August 2023, an extensive failure in the flight control system caused problems for the return of thousands of travelers, with nearly 2,000 flights canceled within two days.