The chief executive of National Air Traffic Services is due to meet the UK transport secretary after a technical fault at the air traffic control provider pushed cancellations to and from UK airports past 1,300 flights on the second day of disruption.
Martin Rolfe, Nats chief executive, is expected to speak with Heidi Alexander before she addresses MPs in the House of Commons for the second reading of the Civil Aviation Bill. Nats provides air traffic control services to 15 UK airports.
The failure began at about 1pm on Tuesday and affected departing flights at major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted. Nats said its flight processing system had been repaired almost four hours later, but most flights scheduled to depart had not yet taken off. Disruption later spread to incoming flights to much of southern England.
By 6am on Wednesday, FlightRadar data showed 246 cancellations at Heathrow and 33 at Gatwick. Tens of thousands of passengers have been affected, with further delays and cancellations expected as airlines reposition aircraft and crews.
Heathrow said flights were operating but disruption could continue while airlines reposition aircraft and crew. The airport said passengers should check flight status before travelling and only travel if their flight was confirmed to be operating.
Rolfe said he accepted full responsibility for the incident, adding that as the head of critical infrastructure his focus was on resolving the problem, restoring normal operations and helping airlines, airports and passengers.
Nats described the recovery as complex and said it had created difficulties across the aviation network, from which it would take time to recover. The incident is Britain's third major air traffic control stoppage in just over three years.
