Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
11 July 2013 09:08
Facilities are demonstrated at the Nats centre in Hampshire
Technical problems at an air traffic control centre led to delays for some air passengers on Tuesday.
Nats, based in Swanwick, near Southampton, was forced to restrict the number of aircraft flying across the south of England because of the issue.
Although Nats said it had now identified and corrected the technical problem, setbacks such as this highlight the importance of having travel insurance before you fly.
The company experienced computer glitches that affected flights when it first moved to the Hampshire site about 10 years ago, but the centre has worked well in recent years.
A Nats spokesperson said the "technical problems" at the Swanwick control centre on Tuesday had "not resulted in the closure of UK airspace or the suspension of all flights in or out of the UK".
The spokesperson said Nats had on Tuesday restricted the number of aircraft flying across the south of England and those taking off from airports in order to "maintain safety", adding that "our first priority will always be the safety of the flying public".
Heathrow experienced only minimal delays, as services heading south from the airport were the only flights affected, while at Gatwick only flights heading for Jersey were hit.
The traffic control issue affected all flights to and from Southampton Airport, according to an airport spokesperson. Passengers were advised to check with their airline for up to date information on Tuesday.
The Nats spokesperson apologised to passengers for any inconvenience caused and later said outbound delays were generally limited to 20 minutes.
The company worked with airports, airlines and Europe-wide organisation Eurocontrol to clear the backlog of flights to ensure disruption was kept to a minimum.
16 November 2018
Switching to a diet low in carbohydrates could see people lose up to 10kg over a three-year period, according to new research.
[more...]
15 November 2018
Smokers who regularly use vapers are more likely to try and quit smoking for good, new research has suggested.
14 November 2018
Leukaemia patients are now a step closer to personalised treatments after a British study looked at the role gene mutations play in blood cancers.
13 November 2018
A quick scan of the blood vessels in a patient's neck could soon be a critical part of future dementia screening, new research has suggested.
10 November 2018
The NHS spends more than £1 billion a year on prescriptions for people with diabetes, new figures show.
09 November 2018
Woman who smoke, have diabetes, or high blood pressure are more likely to suffer a heart attack than men with the same risk factors, a new study claims.
08 November 2018
Millions of UK pensioners feel they don't have anyone they can turn to for help, a leading charity has warned.
07 November 2018
Over a quarter of medical workers are still reluctant to recommend e-cigarettes to smokers despite being told to do so by health authorities, a new survey has revealed.
06 November 2018
A new direct flight between Manchester and Mumbai could boost the economy of northern England to the tune of £400 million, a new report suggests.
02 November 2018
Air travellers could soon face restrictions on the amount of alcohol they can drink before flying, under plans currently being considered by the government.
01 November 2018
A vegan diet could help people living with diabetes to better manage their condition, a new review suggests.
31 October 2018
Electric planes could soon be flying on short-haul routes in Europe, according to the boss of EasyJet.