Latest news with #Gatwick
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
We Asked Parents To Reveal Their Least Favorite Age For Kids ― And Things Got Real
When it comes to the joys and challenges of parenting, not all stages of a child's life are created equal. 'As a dad to two children, I've now had the full tour of early childhood,' author and Dope Black Dads founder Marvyn Harrison told HuffPost. 'And while I've grown into the role, I'll be honest: Some ages feel like warm Caribbean beaches … others feel like delayed Gatwick flights at Christmas.' With that in mind, we reached out to parents and caregivers to ask what their least favorite age is for kids. Read on for their honest responses (and check out their favorite ages here). And if you're a parent and would like to share your least favorite age, email us your thoughts at parents@ Your response might be included in an upcoming article. The Newborn Phase 'I really, really struggled with the newborn phase. The lack of sleep and lack of interaction (babies can't socially smile until 6-7 weeks!) was tough for me. Fortunately, the newborn phase is short-lived!' ―Amanda DeLuca, founder and CEO of the parenting app Riley 'I'm going to contradict myself here (which is the push and pull of motherhood in a nutshell), but probably the early newborn days. I see newborns now and get that pang, that longing (even though I don't want another baby), I remember how tender and sacred mothering in the darkness of 2 a.m. was, learning about each other and the pain of that too. And yet ― if I am honest ― I felt so out of body during this time. I longed for some autonomy again, some routine, to spend 1:1 time with my other children, to sleep, to not worry so much about every cough, cry and skin rash. I felt like those days I was on the edge of motherhood, too worried that if I wasn't I would sink completely. Coming out of the postpartum fog was when I was able to appreciate the beauty in those days, but also appreciate being in the next chapter even more.' ― Jessica Urlichs, author of 'Beautiful Chaos: On Motherhood, Finding Yourself, and Overwhelming Love' The Whole First Year 'Personally, my least favorite age was the entire first year for both of my children. I struggled immensely with postpartum depression, and I found this to be incredibly challenging. I know that many people love the newborn stage, but it honestly terrified me, and I found it to be incredibly overwhelming. I don't think we talk often enough about how OK it is to not enjoy every moment of parenting. It is a tough job and an often thankless job. Yes, many of us signed up for this willingly, but it doesn't mean that it all has to be all sunshine and rainbows! The good days are so good, but the bad days are exhausting. It's OK to experience this dichotomy and still love being a parent while not loving every second of it.' ―Jillian Amodio, mental health advocate and social worker at Waypoint Wellness Center 'It has to be the infant stages to be honest. It's the time I knew the least and lost the most sleep. It's a greater reflection of myself back then than the baby. Colic made us feel like we didn't know how to soothe them. I've never thought deeply about a favorite stage age, because each one is necessary to get to the next. You fumble a lot as a newbie, but there's also a pure excitement in being new. I was an infant at parenting the same time my kids were infants at life. We've been growing together, and I love growth the most!' ―La Guardia Cross, YouTube content creator Age 6-18 Months 'Six months to 18 months. No debate. Newborns? That's the honeymoon. You're buzzing. Everyone's dropping gifts at your door like Uber Eats. But once that wears off and your baby enters 'mystery mode' colic, sleep regression, zero communication, but a lot of side-eye wild. That's the time where you're Googling everything at 2 a.m.: 'Can babies be petty?' 'Why won't my children rate me?' 'If I'm honest, the mum is front and center. She's the food, the comfort, the everything. Meanwhile, as dad, you're trying to bond with someone who literally rolls their eyes at times when you walk in. I never mastered that stage. Two attempts, and both times I felt like a backup dancer in my own band.' ― Harrison Age 9-12 Months 'The most physically grueling stage for me was that brief but intense period when they are just learning to walk, around 9 to 12 months. They are so determined to be mobile but are incredibly unsteady. As a dad, I instinctively want to help, so I spend lots of time walking half-bent over, holding their tiny hands as they cruise around. My back was in constant pain! It's a phase of pure physical sacrifice, but the moment they finally let go of your finger and take those first wobbly steps on their own, all the back pain is forgotten. It's a beautiful, fleeting moment where your direct support helps them achieve their first real taste of independence.' ―Sergei Urban, founder of The Dad Lab Age 7 'My least favorite age is 7. Not because it isn't beautiful, because it is, but it can be emotionally complex. Around this age, many children begin to lean into their autonomy in more intense ways. They're more self-aware, more socially conscious and sometimes more sensitive. They want to do things on their own, but still very much need guidance. This creates a push-pull dynamic that can be hard to navigate as a parent. It's the age where your child starts asking bigger questions and needing different kinds of support ― ones that often challenge you to grow right alongside them. 'As both a parent and an early childhood professional, I think it's important to name that no age is truly easy. Each stage has its joys and challenges, and each requires a different version of us as caregivers. What helps is understanding that our children are always evolving, and so are we.' ―Princess Owens, child care consultant, mindfulness facilitator and content creator Related... We Asked Parents To Reveal When Kids Are At The Best Age, And Things Got Real The 1 Item Parents Will Never, Ever Travel Without 20 Kids Movies That Are Equally Enjoyable For Parents
The Guardian
20 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Minister summons UK air traffic control boss to explain latest technical failure
The transport secretary has summoned the head of the UK air traffic control service Nats to account for the technical failure that led to hundreds of flights being cancelled or delayed on Wednesday. Heidi Alexander said she would meet Martin Rolfe, the under-fire chief executive of Nats, to 'understand what happened and how we can prevent reoccurrence' after more than 150 flights were cancelled and others delayed by the latest Nats glitch. It is understood that Alexander will not press Rolfe to consider his position, despite fresh calls from Ryanair for him to quit. Most of the disruption from the brief stoppage came at Heathrow. A total of 84 departures and 71 arrivals were cancelled by 10pm on Wednesday evening, and some inbound flights were diverted to European cities. A small number of British Airways flights were cancelled on Thursday due to aircraft and flight crew being out of position, contributing to at least 16 flight cancellations to and from Heathrow. Heathrow and Gatwick airports said they had resumed normal operations. The stoppage was the second due to a technical fault at Nats' Swanwick control centre in two years, although the duration was far shorter and the disruption far smaller than the 2023 August bank holiday fiasco. In a post on X on Thursday morning, Alexander said: 'Nats are working closely with airlines and airports to clear the backlog safely and look after passengers. I will be meeting the Nats chief executive today to understand what happened and how we can prevent reoccurrence.' The 'technical issue' at Swanwick may have been due to radar systems, according to some reports, but Nats has not confirmed the cause of the problems, which were announced at about 4pm on Wednesday. The stoppage is believed to have lasted around 20 minutes, and within an hour Nats said systems were fully operational and that departures had resumed at all airports. Ryanair called on Rolfe to resign in the wake of the fault, claiming 'no lessons have been learned' since the August 2023 system outage. The airline had already called for his head twice in July, in a long campaign waged against Nats and air traffic control services more widely. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion The business minister Gareth Thomas, asked on Thursday whether Rolfe would be fired over the incident, told Times Radio: 'Clearly, an incident happened two years ago and measures were taken then. It looks like those measures weren't enough but we need to get to the bottom of what exactly happened, and conversations will take place today.' Graham Lake, a former director general of the air traffic management industry association Canso, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think it's unrealistic to expect a system where you have no technical failure. The failure yesterday was short and sweet, the recovery was quick – aircraft were operating again very, very quickly.'
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Air traffic outage live: Flights resume after technical fault grounds 150 planes and triggers airlines' backlash
Flights have now resumed at UK airports after a technical glitch in the National Air Traffic Service (Nats) systems caused more than 150 cancellations yesterday. Nats said the radar-related issue was detected at 4.05pm and resolved within 20 minutes by switching to a backup system. More than 100 flights were cancelled after the 20-minute air traffic control outage grounded planes and suspended take-offs across the UK. Nats has said its systems are fully operational again and air traffic capacity is returning to normal - but there was a backlog of flights following the outage, with many delayed. 'This was a radar-related issue which was resolved by quickly switching to the back-up system during which time we reduced traffic to ensure safety,' Nats said, adding that there was 'no evidence this was cyber-related'. Thousands of passengers were left stranded across Europe after planes were diverted, some returning to their departure cities. Travellers stranded on planes told The Independent of 'terrible communication' from airlines and 'chaos' in the airports. Gatwick, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Heathrow, and Manchester Airports were all among the airports across the UK affected by the outage. Flights resume at UK airports after technical glitch Flights have now resumed at UK airports after a technical glitch in the National Air Traffic Service (NATS) systems caused more than 150 cancellations on Wednesday. NATS said the radar-related issue was detected at 4.05pm and resolved within 20 minutes by switching to a backup system. Despite the quick fix, airlines and passengers faced major disruption during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Ryanair's chief operating officer, Neal McMahon, called the incident 'utterly unacceptable' and demanded the resignation of NATS CEO Martin Rolfe, blaming 'continued mismanagement' and a failure to learn from the August 2023 outage. EasyJet's David Morgan also criticised the repeat failure, saying: 'It's extremely disappointing to see an ATC failure once again causing disruption to our customers.' Although flights are departing again, airlines have urged passengers to check with their carriers before heading to the airport. NATS has confirmed the issue was not cyber-related and stressed that safety procedures were followed throughout. Maroosha Muzaffar31 July 2025 05:00 Airlines demand answers from air traffic controller Nats As of 10pm on Wednesday, 84 departures and 71 arrivals were cancelled at UK airports, with London's Heathrow experiencing the highest number of disruptions. Several incoming flights were also rerouted to cities across Europe, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. EasyJet's chief operating officer, David Morgan, expressed frustration over the situation, saying: 'It's extremely disappointing to see an ATC failure once again causing disruption to our customers at this busy and important time of year for travel. While our priority today is supporting our customers, we will want to understand from Nats what steps they are taking to ensure issues don't continue.' Airlines are seeking answers from UK air traffic control provider Nats after a technical glitch led to over 150 flight cancellations, causing major disruption for thousands of passengers on Wednesday. Maroosha Muzaffar31 July 2025 04:30 In pictures: Travellers stranded in Heathrow Airport Alex Croft31 July 2025 04:00 Man fears missing brothers wedding after flight cancellations A man whose plane was cancelled from Heathrow Airport after air traffic control provider Nats suffered a technical issue, said he was worried he would miss his brother's wedding. John Carr, a chiropodist from Stourbridge, was on his way to Norway with a group of friends to help set up his brother's wedding, for which he is best man, when he found out after checking in his flight was cancelled. The 35-year-old told the PA news agency from outside Terminal 3 he was stressed. He said: 'I'm pretty gutted. We've got loads of stuff in the suitcases to set up the venue, because we're obviously flying to Norway. We've got the wedding rehearsal to do. It's quite stressful.' His friend James Hedges, also from Stourbridge, added: 'We found out today; we'd already checked in and gone through the security checks. 'We were in the departures lounge, and we were literally sitting down having a burger when it came up on the (screen). Our flight was still showing as if it was leaving, and they were waiting to give us a gate and that that would be given at 4.45pm. When that time came around, it then switched to cancelled.' Alex Croft31 July 2025 03:01 Ryanair calls on Nats CEO to resign after system failure Ryanair has called on Nats CEO Martin Rolfe to resign after a system failure has caused flight delays across the UK. 'It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption due to Martin Rolfe's continued mismanagement of NATS. Yet another ATC system failure has resulted in the closure of UK airspace meaning thousands of passengers' travel plans have been disruptedm' said Ryanair COO Neal McMahon. 'It is clear that no lessons have been learnt since the Aug' 23 NATS system outage and passengers continue to suffer as a result of Martin Rolfe's incompetence. 'If NATS CEO Martin Rolfe fails to resign on the back of this latest NATS system outage that has disrupted thousands of passengers yet again, then UK Transport Minister Heidi Alexander must act without delay to remove Martin Rolfe and deliver urgent reform of NATS's shambolic ATC service, so that airlines and passengers are no longer forced to endure these preventable delays caused by persistent NATS failures.' Alex Croft31 July 2025 02:01 Alex Croft31 July 2025 01:00 Knock-on effects of air-traffic control shutdown at London City, Luton and Southend airports The Independent's travel correspondent Simon Calder writes: Passengers on later flights on Wednesday face long delays as a result of the air-traffic control shutdown. For example, the afternoon flight from Lyon to Luton diverted to Paris CDG as a result of the UK airspace shutdown. It eventually arrived at 8.50pm, three hours behind schedule. The subsequent trip to Jersey was delayed three hours, with a correspondingly late return – instead of arriving at Luton from Jersey at 8.30pm, the expected time is close to midnight. At Southend, easyJet's flights from Faro was diverted to Bordeaux. An incoming plane from Gran Canaria ended up on the island of Jersey, and a round-trip to Amsterdam was cancelled. London City airport was badly affected, with one British Airways flight from Glasgow returning to its starting place, and links to Rotterdam, Palma and Amsterdam cancelled. Alex Croft31 July 2025 00:44 Continued disruption expected, says transport secretary We've heard from transport secretary Heidi Alexander, who said on X that she is aware of the technical issue which shut down air traffic control operations. 'I have been informed systems have now been restored but continued disruption is expected, and passengers should check with individual airports for advice,' Ms Alexander added. Alex Croft30 July 2025 23:59 More than 150 flights cancelled to and from UK airports Flight analysts Cirium have said 84 departures and 71 arrivals were cancelled across UK airports on Wednesday, This brings the total 155, the BBC reported. Most of these cancellations were at London Heathrow, with 29 departures and 17 arrivals. But Cirium does not give a cause foe the cancellations in its data, so some may not have been related to the power outage. Alex Croft30 July 2025 23:48 'It's going to be chaos': Briton's flight turns back to Oslo mid-air A Briton who was on a flight from Oslo to London - which has turned around mid-air towards the Norwegian capital - is expecting 'chaos' when the plane lands. Tanya Goldhaber said she was two-thirds of the way to London when the pilot informed passengers that the flight would be turning back to London due to a radar issue - and lack of fuel. 'My child went into meltdown for a little while which wasn't great but she's sleeping now,' Ms Goldhaber told The Independent. 'It's a plane full of Norwegian and British people so it's actually very calm and stoic, but basically we have zero information from anyone about what's going to happen when we're on the ground - but I'd imagine it's going to be chaos when we get to Oslo,' she added. 'They're suggesting the plane will land and go back at 7pm but I'm not sure anyone believes that. So we may or may not be back in the UK this week, we'll see - I would not recommend doing this with a four-month-old baby." Alex Croft30 July 2025 22:59
Times
a day ago
- Business
- Times
Heathrow to announce third runway plans as PM unveils airport expansion
Sir Keir Starmer is poised to usher in the biggest expansion of Britain's airports for half a century as Heathrow prepares to unveil plans for a third runway. The prime minister is prepared to do 'whatever it takes' to ensure there are 'spades in the ground' by 2030 at Heathrow and on other major aviation projects. The government is also expected to formally approve plans for a second runway at Gatwick in coming weeks and is pressing ahead with the biggest ever overhaul of Britain's airspace to enable quicker flights and fewer delays. Ministers are also introducing legislation to curb the ability of campaigners to use judicial reviews to block infrastructure projects. Starmer said earlier this year that he would 'override the whims of nimbies'. Starmer is pressing for airport expansion in a bid to galvanise economic growth. 'He'll do whatever it takes on this,' a senior government source said. 'He's up for the fight. He views aviation as a key driver of economic growth.' By the end of Thursday, Heathrow will submit its proposals for a third runway, which is expected to cost between £45 billion and £60 billion. The plans are expected to include diverting a section of the M25 through a tunnel running underneath the new runway. The plans have proved hugely contentious in the past. They were first mooted as far back as 2003 but have been subject to years of delays, political opposition and legal challenges amid concerns over air and noise pollution. Ministers had set a deadline of July 31 for plans for expansion to be submitted. The Times understands at least two other schemes have been presented to the government from rival developers. Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, will review the submissions before a consultation on the airports national policy statement, the framework under which permission for a new runway can be granted. Only then can any full planning application be submitted. In January, Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, announced that the government wanted to push ahead with a third runway, arguing that sustainable aviation fuels were a 'game changer'. She said: 'The way that we fly has changed hugely in recent years. Engines have become so much more efficient, reducing carbon emissions, and also sustainable aviation fuel is changing the way that we fly. 'We want to see spades in the ground in this parliament. We have asked Heathrow to come forward with plans by this summer and then we want to grant that development consent order by the end of this parliament, so we can get the diggers in the ground to get this project up and running.' A third runway is expected to receive the backing of a majority of MPs if there is a vote in the Commons, although the issue is divisive. Sir Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, is strongly opposed and has suggested he is prepared to mount a legal challenge. Heathrow is expected to seek assurances from the government if it is to push ahead with the scheme and the investment required. Ministers are preparing to announce the creation of an Airspace Design Service, which will redraw the corridors planes use. It will be the biggest overhaul since their creation in the 1950s, when there were only about 200,000 flights a year, compared with 2.7 million last year. It will change the routes planes must take when flying in an attempt to increase efficiency and reduce air traffic control delays. Pilots routinely complain about the routing they must take when arriving at London-area airports, saying it adds unnecessary time to flights. A plane flying from Spain to Luton is often required to travel as far north as Cambridge only to turn around and head south for its approach. Similarly, flights from the US are regularly stacked east of London before turning back to land at Heathrow. The redesign of Britain's air space is integral to dealing with the additional traffic that would be caused by a third runway at Heathrow. The new runway would allow the west London airport to handle 276,000 new flights annually, taking the total to 756,000 a year, and 66 million more passengers. Starmer is also planning to curb the ability of environmental groups and other campaigners to bring legal challenges. The prime minister said earlier this year that the courts were being 'abused by pressure groups' to block vital projects. Under changes due to take effect later this year, campaign groups and local residents will be given a maximum of two chances to apply for judicial review of nationally significant projects, down from three. Challenges deemed by a High Court judge to be 'totally without merit' will be refused permission to appeal. The government is also expected to give its formal approval to bring Gatwick's second 'emergency' runway into regular use in coming weeks, provided there is a compromise on noise and public transport. Alexander said earlier this year she was 'minded to approve' the runway. She is expected to give it the final green light in the autumn.
Sky News
a day ago
- Sky News
UK flights resume after glitch - as airlines criticise 'outrageous' disruption
Why you can trust Sky News Flights have resumed after an air traffic control problem caused widespread disruption. The National Air Traffic Service (NATS) apologised and said the glitch happened at 4.05pm at its Swanwick control centre but the system was restored 20 minutes later. "This was a radar-related issue which was resolved by quickly switching to the back up system during which time we reduced traffic to ensure safety," said a spokesperson. "There is no evidence that this was cyber related." UK airports latest: BA warns of disruption to flights Gatwick said earlier that the issue was "affecting all outbound flights across the UK", while Birmingham Airport said "departing flights from many UK airports have been suspended". Just after 5pm, NATS said departures at all airports had restarted and it was working to clear the backlog. 1:01 Some 67 departures and 55 arrivals were cancelled across the country as of 7.30pm, according to analytics firm Cirum Aviation. John Carr, from Stourbridge, was on his way from Heathrow to Norway to help arrange his brother's wedding when he discovered his flight was cancelled after checking in. "I'm pretty gutted," he said. "We've got loads of stuff in the suitcases to set up the venue, because we're obviously flying to Norway. We've got the wedding rehearsal to do. It's quite stressful." Heathrow spokesperson advised passengers to check with their airline before travelling. reported an average delay of 48 minutes at Heathrow for departing aircraft at 5.30pm, an hour after NATS restored its systems, and said 89% of flights were suffering delays. Paul Charles, a travel expert and boss of a luxury travel group, told Sky News it was "a major outage". He said it would take time to get operations back to normal, and that long-haul flights would be prioritised. "Long-haul traffic above short-haul traffic usually, because those long-haul aircraft are carrying more passengers," he said. 5:06 Airlines criticise 'outrageous' disruption British Airways was restricting inbound and outbound flights at Heathrow to 32 an hour, but said they would return to the usual rate of 45 from 7.15pm. There was anger from some airlines over the outage. Ryanair called for NATS' chief executive, Martin Rolfe, to resign. The airline claimed "no lessons have been learnt" since the August 2023 outage affecting NATS' flight planning system, which grounded flights and disrupted trips for more than 700,000 passengers. Chief operating officer Neal McMahon called Wednesday's fault "outrageous". "Yet another ATC system failure has resulted in the closure of UK airspace, meaning thousands of passengers' travel plans have been disrupted," he said. Easyjet 's chief operating officer, David Morgan, also struck a sombre tone. "It's extremely disappointing to see an ATC failure once again causing disruption to our customers at this busy and important time of year for travel," he said. Mr Morgan said he wanted to know what NATS is doing to "ensure issues don't continue". 0:50 Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for an urgent investigation and also referred to the "utterly unacceptable" disruption two years earlier. "With thousands of families preparing to go on a well-earned break, this just isn't good enough. The public deserve to have full confidence in such a vital piece of national infrastructure." Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was aware of the issue, but said "continued disruption is expected and passengers should check with individual airports for advice". Flights departing or arriving at a UK airport, or aircraft operated by a UK airline arriving in the EU, are subject to rules concerning delays or cancellations.
