Latest news with #JohnCarr
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Yahoo
Best man's wedding woe as he's caught in flight chaos after ATC glitch
Oh brother! A Midland passenger due to be best man at his sibling's wedding was caught up in nationwide flight chaos sparked by an air traffic control glitch. 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 when he found out after checking in that his flight from Heathrow was cancelled. The 35-year-old 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.' READ MORE: Wolverhampton shop could lose licence over 'gin sting' and 'illegal vapes' READ MORE: First picture of killer who stabbed ex-boyfriend in heart on Christmas Day READ MORE: 'Pubs are vanishing at a terrifying rate' as landlord begs 'do something' He said they did not receive any warning of the cancellation before it happened. 'We had no idea,' he told the Press Association on Wednesday night, July 30. 'There was nothing the airport had said out on the speaker phones, or anything like that. There was no warning from them or the airline that said it was cancelled. It's rubbish. There's nothing we can do. 'We don't know what we're going to do tonight in terms of accommodation. We have put our cars in special car compounds for the next six days.' Airlines demanded answers from air traffic control (ATC) provider Nats after more than 150 flights were cancelled in the UK following a technical glitch in the ATC system. Thousands of passengers trying to fly both in and out of the country faced major disruption on Wednesday afternoon. UK airports saw 84 departures and 71 arrivals cancelled as of 10pm on Wednesday – with the highest number of cancellations at London's Heathrow Airport – while a number of inbound flights were also diverted to European cities, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. More than 700,000 passengers suffered disruption when flights were grounded at UK airports on August 28 2023 when Nats suffered a technical glitch while processing a flight plan. EasyJet's chief operating officer David Morgan said: '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.' Ryanair called for Nats' chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign in the wake of the fault, claiming 'no lessons have been learnt' since the August 2023 system outage. The airline's chief operating officer Neal McMahon said: 'It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption due to Martin Rolfe's continued mismanagement of Nats." Nats was contacted for comment. The Liberal Democrats called for a full investigation into the glitch. The party's leader Sir Ed Davey said: 'It is utterly unacceptable that after a major disruption just two years ago, air traffic control has once again been hit by a technical fault. 'The Government should launch an urgent investigation to ensure the system is fit for purpose, including ruling out hostile action as a cause.' A DfT spokesperson said the department was 'working closely' with Nats to understand the cause of the glitch and the 'implications for the resilience systems in place'. The 'technical issue' responsible for the disruption was at Nats' control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire, according to the company. It first announced problems at around 4pm on Wednesday, and in an update an hour later said systems were fully operational and that departures had resumed at all airports.
Daily Mirror
31-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Brits share travel nightmares after ALL flights grounded at Heathrow and Gatwick
Birmingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Stansted, Newcastle, Manchester, Gatwick, Heathrow and Luton were among the airports affected by the "technical issue" yesterday Thousands of holidaymakers are experiencing travel chaos after an air traffic control (ATC) fault caused major disruption yesterday. The airspace above the capital was closed yesterday impacting all international departures - across all airlines. National Air Traffic Services (NATS), issued an alert of a "technical issue" yesterday afternoon. About 30 minutes after issuing an initial alert, the agency said engineers had fixed the problem and that it was "in the process of restoring normal operations." Birmingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Stansted, Newcastle, Manchester, Gatwick, Heathrow and Luton were among the airports affected. Passengers across the country have shared their frustration on social media, with people saying they're sitting on the runway with no sign of taking off. It comes after a warning to Brit tourists planning all-inclusive holidays to Spain. Furious passengers were forced to put their holidays on hold while others feared missing out on their loved ones' weddings as a result of the issue. Here's how the travel chaos has impacted some passengers... John Carr, a chiropodist from Stourbridge, was one of thousands of stranded Brits left in limbo after his flight from Heathrow to Norway was cancelled at the last minute. He and a group of friends were on their way to his brother's wedding, for which he is best man, when he found out after checking in that his flight was cancelled. The 35-year-old told 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." He added: "It's rubbish. There's nothing we can do. We don't know what we're going to do tonight in terms of accommodation. We have put our cars in special car compounds for the next six days." His friend James Hedges, also from Stourbridge, said the group was in the departures lounge when they were told the flight was cancelled. 'He said: "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." Monica Clare, 68, from London, was hoping to watch her loved one walk down the isle but her flight from Heathrow to the Republic of Ireland was cancelled. She was flying out to attend the wedding in Limerick at 2.40pm today, but was stranded on the runway for almost three hours, before being told her flight was cancelled. She said: "We were told to wait for a phone update about a flight tomorrow but others were told all flights tomorrow are already full. It's totally awful. We probably have to go home and wait to see when the next available flight is. It looks like we're missing the wedding," reports MailOnline. Asha, 18, from Manchester, said the chaos had ruined her first holiday interrailing. She told the BBC her 3.10pm flight to Amsterdam had actually departed and was in the air for 50 minutes – before turning around. Hours later, she said she was still 'stuck' on the tarmac at the city's airport NATS said the issue was resolved at around 4.43pm yesterday but knock-delays will continue.
Metro
30-07-2025
- Metro
Delays from radar blackout 'could affect flights for days' as 120 flights cancel
Thousands of passengers could still be affected after air traffic control (ATC) provider Nats suffered another technical glitch. More than 120 flights were cancelled with 577,000 passengers affected – the highest number stuck at London's Heathrow Airport on Wednesday. The blackout lasted a mere 20 minutes but the knock-on effects could last for days at the peak period for families to escape the UK for summer holidays. Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, warned 'continued disruption is expected' and urged travellers to 'check with individual airports for advice'. Nats [National Air Traffic Services], responsible for directing planes through British airspace skies, refused to rule out a cyber attack or hostile foreign interference as causing the chaos, according to The Telegraph. The 'technical issue' occurred at Nats' control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire, according to the company. It first announced problems at around 4pm on Wednesday, immediately grounding all flights about to take off. In an update an hour later, the public-private partnership company said systems were fully operational and that departures had resumed. An easyJet captain stuck on the tarmac at Gatwick for an hour joked to passengers: 'They've turned it off and turned it back on again.' But stranded families weren't laughing as they feared missing funerals, weddings and once-in-a-lifetime holidays. 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 that his flight was cancelled. The 35-year-old 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.' He said they did not receive any warning of the cancellation before it happened. 'We had no idea,' Mr Carr said. 'There was nothing that the airport had said out on the speaker phones, or anything like that. There was no warning from them or the airline that said it was cancelled. It's rubbish. There's nothing we can do. 'We don't know what we're going to do tonight in terms of accommodation. 'We have put our cars in special car compounds for the next six days.' Airlines were equally furious at the disruption after a similar 2023 failure cost carriers £100million. EasyJet's chief operating officer David Morgan said: '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.' Ryanair called for Nats' chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign in the wake of the fault, claiming 'no lessons have been learnt' since the August 2023 system outage. The airline's chief operating officer Neal McMahon said: 'It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption due to Martin Rolfe's continued mismanagement of Nats. 'It is clear that no lessons have been learnt since the August 2023 Nats system outage, and passengers continue to suffer as a result of Martin Rolfe's incompetence.' More than 700,000 passengers suffered disruption when flights were grounded at UK airports on August 28 2023 when Nats suffered a technical glitch while processing a flight plan. Mr McMahon continued: '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' shambolic ATC service, so that airlines and passengers are no longer forced to endure these preventable delays caused by persistent Nats failures.' The Department for Transport (DfT) noted that the Transport Secretary does not have any direct control over Nats and has no powers on staffing decisions. The Liberal Democrats called for a full investigation into the glitch. The party's leader Sir Ed Davey, said: 'It is utterly unacceptable that after a major disruption just two years ago, air traffic control has once again been hit by a technical fault. 'The Government should launch an urgent investigation to ensure the system is fit for purpose, including ruling out hostile action as a cause.' A DfT spokesperson said the department is 'working closely' with Nats to understand the cause of the glitch and the 'implications for the resilience systems in place'. MORE: Brother guilty of attacking two female PCs at Manchester Airport MORE: London airspace closure: Your rights if your flight is delayed or cancelled MORE: Ryanair traveller 'can't believe' his £16.99 flight doesn't have this one basic thing
Sky News
30-07-2025
- 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.
Powys County Times
30-07-2025
- Powys County Times
Airlines battle to recover operations after air traffic control glitch
Airlines are attempting to recover their flight operations after an air traffic control (ATC) fault caused major disruption on Wednesday afternoon. Thousands of passengers have been affected, with many likely to continue facing issues with their journeys. ATC provider Nats said its systems are 'fully operational' and that air traffic capacity is 'returning to normal' after the technical glitch affected flights across the UK following restrictions on the number of aircraft which could fly in England and Wales. ℹ️ Technical issue at Swanwick Our systems are fully operational and air traffic capacity is returning to normal. (1/2) — NATS (@NATS) July 30, 2025 Nats is working with airlines and airports to clear the backlog of flights now that departures at all airports have resumed, the company added. 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 that his flight was cancelled. The 35-year-old told the PA news agency at Heathrow Airport: '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.' He said they did not receive any warning of the cancellation before it happened. 'We had no idea,' Mr Carr told PA. 'There was nothing that the airport had said out on the speaker phones, or anything like that. There was no warning from them or the airline that said it was cancelled. It's rubbish. There's nothing we can do. 'We don't know what we're going to do tonight in terms of accommodation. 'We have put our cars in special car compounds for the next six days.' Baptiste, who did not want to give his full name, said he was told his flight had been cancelled while on the tarmac. He is travelling home to France with his family and told PA: 'We have no information. When we arrived, we were stopped on the tarmac and in the plane. We learned that our flight had been cancelled. We're going to Geneva in Switzerland, so we're trying to find a flight for tomorrow and a hotel.' Ryanair called for Nats' chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign in the wake of the fault, claiming 'no lessons have been learnt' since the August 2023 system outage. The airline's chief operating officer Neal McMahon said: '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 disrupted. 'It is clear that no lessons have been learnt since the August 2023 Nats system outage, and passengers continue to suffer as a result of Martin Rolfe's incompetence.' More than 700,000 passengers suffered disruption when flights were grounded at UK airports on August 28 2023 when Nats suffered a technical glitch while processing a flight plan. Mr McMahon continued: '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' shambolic ATC service, so that airlines and passengers are no longer forced to endure these preventable delays caused by persistent Nats failures.' The Department for Transport (DfT) noted that the Transport Secretary does not have any direct control over Nats and has no powers on staffing decisions. Nats has been contacted for comment. The issue on Wednesday left many aircraft and flight crew out of position. While it was ongoing, British Airways (BA) said the problem was 'affecting the vast majority of our flights', while Birmingham airport said 'departing flights from many UK airports have been suspended'. Several flights scheduled to arrive at UK airports were forced to conduct holding patterns or divert elsewhere. In an update, BA said that the number of its inbound and outbound flights at Heathrow is restricted to a total of 32 per hour until 7.15pm before the flow rate returns to the usual level of 45 per hour. Consumer organisation Which? advised that passengers who have suffered delays or cancellations could have rights to food or a hotel stay. 'If your flight is cancelled or delayed, you're unlikely to be owed compensation by the airline as the technical issue is considered an 'extraordinary circumstance' and out of the airline's control,' its deputy editor Naomi Leach said. 'However, you do have a right to food or a hotel stay depending on the length of the delay but be sure you keep the receipts as you will need to claim this back from the airline.' The 'technical issue' responsible for disruption was at Nats' control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire, according to the company. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said continued disruption was expected following the restoration of Nats' systems and urged passengers to check with individual airports for advice. A DfT spokesperson said: 'We are working closely with Nats to understand the cause of the technical issue and the implications for the resilience systems in place.' The Liberal Democrats called for a full investigation into the glitch. The party's leader Sir Ed Davey said: 'It is utterly unacceptable that after a major disruption just two years ago, air traffic control has once again been hit by a technical fault. 'With thousands of families preparing to go on a well-earned break, this just isn't good enough. 'The Government should launch an urgent investigation to ensure the system is fit for purpose, including ruling out hostile action as a cause. 'The public deserve to have full confidence in such a vital piece of national infrastructure.' An expert said it is understood the software prioritises safety over keeping airspace open. Junade Ali, a fellow at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, said: 'Nats has previously thoroughly investigated such incidents and implemented suitable measures. 'From prior incident reports, the software is understood to not compromise safety at the expense of keeping airspace open. 'This is the right approach as, whilst keeping airspace open is important, the public risk appetite demands a high standard of safety when it comes to air travel.'
