UK air traffic control experiencing 'technical issue', airlines warn of traffic delays

Britain's National Air Traffic Service (NATS) was forced to restrict the flow of aircraft on Monday as it works to address a technical issue, it said.

"We are currently experiencing a technical issue and have applied traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety. Engineers are working to find and fix the fault," a spokesperson said.

Earlier Scottish airline Loganair said on social media site X that there had been a network-wide failure of UK air traffic control computer systems, warning international flights may face delays.

Several passengers took to social media to say they were stuck on planes on the tarmac waiting to take off on what is a busy travel day due to Monday's UK public holiday.

One Reuters witness being held on the tarmac at Budapest said their pilot told passengers that a massive computer failure had closed all UK airspace and they faced an 8-12 hour delay.