A further 177 flights were cancelled on Wednesday following a catastrophic system failure at Nats, the UK's air traffic control provider, which caused widespread travel disruption on Tuesday. The majority of Wednesday's cancellations are departing from London Heathrow, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.
Flightradar24 reported that 1,300 flights had been cancelled to and from UK airports on Tuesday, with an additional 177 already axed on Wednesday. The technical fault struck Nats, the organisation responsible for providing air traffic control services across 15 UK airports.
Knock-on disruption expected to be 'horrible'
Knock-on disruption is anticipated across major hubs including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted. Tens of thousands of passengers have been caught up in the mayhem, with no immediate end in sight.
Travel journalist Simon Calder warned that Wednesday's knock-on effects were "going to be horrible", adding: "There are going to be dozens of cancellations in the morning of flights coming into Heathrow because, basically, the flights didn't go out tonight."
Airlines report thousands affected
Budget carrier Ryanair confirmed that more than 65,000 of its passengers had been affected, with over 50 scheduled flights scrapped. British Airways stated it was compelled to cancel or divert more than 100 flights on Tuesday, impacting "tens of thousands of customers".
Airlines have launched scathing attacks on Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe, after distressing scenes saw passengers stranded on runways for hours, with many reporting they were left without access to food or drink or toilet facilities.
Nats CEO responds to criticism
Speaking to Sky News, Rolfe said: "I am the CEO of a piece of critical infrastructure, so it is my job to take responsibility for that. What I absolutely take responsibility for is keeping people safe and delivering the best service we possibly can on a day like today. You will understand my focus is entirely about how we actually resolve this issue, get things back to normal, help our airlines, our airport customers and the travelling public."
Luton Airport announced early on Wednesday that it was "open and operational", while cautioning that: "Some flights may still be subject to disruption and passengers are advised to check their flight status directly before travelling to the airport."
