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Flight chaos caused by millisecond software defect, says air traffic control body
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- A software defect in the UK air traffic control system caused widespread travel chaos on 8 September, leading to over 2,000 flight cancellations and affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers.
- The issue occurred within a millisecond, producing corrupted data that reduced information available to air traffic controllers, prompting restrictions on airspace to maintain safety.
- The problem was not identified as serious until two and a half hours after it occurred, with system restart and lifting of restrictions taking several hours, resulting in prolonged disruption.
- The incident raised concerns about the resilience of Nats' systems, with airlines demanding compensation and improved safeguards, while passengers expressed frustration over lack of support and compensation eligibility.
- Government officials called the disruption "completely unacceptable" and launched a review, noting this was the third major national air traffic incident in three years.
