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Repeated air traffic control failures leave us in worrying territory
BBC • • business
Key Points:
- The UK's air traffic control provider, Nats, has faced two significant failures within a fortnight, causing thousands of flight cancellations and widespread disruption for passengers across the UK.
- The first incident at Swanwick was due to a rare software flaw, while the second at Prestwick stemmed from a connectivity issue; Nats claims the two failures are unrelated.
- Airlines, including Jet2, Easyjet, and Ryanair, have criticized Nats for repeated disruptions and questioned the resilience of its systems, with Ryanair calling for the resignation of Nats' chief executive.
- The government has commissioned an independent Civil Aviation Authority review of the first incident, expected to take six months, and no immediate leadership changes at Nats are anticipated.
- Nats' CEO Martin Rolfe defended the complexity of air traffic control systems and stated he has no plans to resign, but frustration is mounting among airlines and passengers over ongoing service failures.
