UK- UAE, Gulf travel: Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways updates after air traffic control outage

Dubai: UAE travellers flying to or through the UK face delays and possible cancellations after a technical failure in Britain’s air traffic control system disrupted flights across the country, with Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways warning passengers of knock-on disruption.

The outage affected flights to and from UK airports as well as aircraft operating through UK airspace, with airlines now working through a backlog that continued even after the system was restored.

UK outage update

NATS said its flight-processing system had returned to normal at 7.30pm UK time on September 8, but warned that the disruption would continue to affect operations as airlines worked to clear the backlog.

Almost 1,000 flights were disrupted across major British airports on Tuesday, according to the information provided by Qatar Airways, with cancellations, diversions and lengthy delays reported across the country.

The disruption affected airports including London Stansted and London City, as well as Manchester, Birmingham, Gatwick and airports in Scotland.

Martin Rolfe, chief executive of NATS, told the BBC that the system was operating normally but acknowledged there was “a huge backlog” of flights and passengers.

He said the technical problem had probably lasted around six hours and that the focus was now on recovery and investigating what went wrong.

Asked whether the incident raised questions over whether NATS’ systems were fit for purpose, Rolfe said: “I don't think so, no.”

He added: “Whilst we never want these things to happen - and I absolutely apologise for the fact it has happened today - I do think we're fit for purpose.”

Emirates warning

Emirates said flights arriving at and departing from UK airports were experiencing disruption because of the technical issue affecting NATS.

The Dubai-based airline has advised passengers to regularly check their flight status and review the latest operational updates before travelling to the airport.

Customers have also been asked to monitor their email for notifications about delays, changes or cancellations and to ensure their contact details are up to date in their booking.

The airline apologised for the inconvenience caused by the disruption.

Etihad delays

Etihad Airways said several London Heathrow–Abu Dhabi flights were affected by the UK air traffic control system issue on September 8.

• EY64 London Heathrow–Abu Dhabi: Cancelled.

• EY66 London Heathrow–Abu Dhabi: Expected to depart at 21:30.

• EY68 London Heathrow–Abu Dhabi: Expected to face an extended delay after inbound EY67 was diverted to Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Etihad said the situation remained dynamic and that further changes were possible.

The airline said its teams were assisting affected passengers with hotel accommodation and rebooking their onward travel.

Qatar warning

Qatar Airways said the UK air traffic control system failure was affecting flights to and from UK airports, as well as flights operating through UK airspace.

The airline warned passengers of delays and possible rerouting and advised them to check the latest flight information through its website and mobile app.

The airline's alert followed widespread disruption across Britain on Tuesday, when more than 1,000 flights were cancelled according to flight-tracking data cited in the supplied information.

BA, Ryanair hit

British Airways said it was forced to cancel or divert more than 100 flights following the outage.

A British Airways spokesperson said: “The severity of the issue means there will be a significant knock-on impact.”

The airline said the incident was “entirely out of our control” and had been frustrating for customers and staff, with aircraft and crew ending up in the wrong locations.

Ryanair said more than 65,000 passengers had been affected and that it had cancelled more than 50 scheduled flights.

Backlog remains

Although the NATS system has been restored, the impact has not ended.

The disruption left aircraft and crews out of position across the UK network, meaning airlines still need to reposition aircraft, crews and passengers while clearing delayed flights.

NATS chief Rolfe said the focus was now on recovery. “My focus today has been making sure the team's in the right place, we have the right resources, the technical issues are being investigated, and the recovery happens,” he told the BBC.

He said there would be a full investigation into the incident.

Passengers should check directly with their airline before travelling, even if their flight was previously confirmed.

Those flying Emirates, Etihad or Qatar Airways should monitor the respective airline's flight-status channels for the latest information, as delays and cancellations may change while carriers work through the backlog.