Airlines in the UAE have warned passengers flying to and from the UK to expect delays.
The news comes after flights using UK airspace were delayed or cancelled for several hours on Monday, August 28 due to what Britain’s National Air Traffic Service (NATS) said was a technical issue that it had since identified and remedied.
UAE carriers Emirates and Etihad told passengers there could be delays on flights in and out of the country.
UAE airlines expect UK flight delays
It said: “We have identified and remedied the technical issue affecting our flight planning system this morning. We are now working closely with airlines and airports to manage the flights affected as efficiently as possible.
“Our engineers will be carefully monitoring the system’s performance as we return to normal operations.”
The response from UAE airlines has been to inform passengers flying on UK routes to expect delays.
A statement from Dubai’s Emirates said: “Emirates has been advised that a widespread systems failure within UK Air Traffic Control on August 28 has been rectified.
“All flights currently en route to the United Kingdom will be allowed to land, but flights departing the UK may experience delays.
“Emirates continues to monitor the situation, and apologises to its customers for the inconvenience.”
Etihad Airways was not expecting to cancel flights, but told passengers to expect delays.
In a statement it said: “Etihad Airways is advising passengers travelling to and from London and Manchester that there may be flight delays due to the ongoing Flight Data Processing System failure affecting all airlines operating in the UK.
“All flights are currently planned to operate as scheduled, however, we are working closely with airport authorities and will inform guests immediately if there is any change.”
“Etihad Airways is advising passengers travelling to and from London and Manchester that there may be flight delays due to the ongoing Flight Data Processing System failure affecting all airlines operating in the UK
Earlier Irish air traffic control provider AirNav Ireland said the issue, which struck during a public holiday in parts of Britain, was resulting in “significant delays for flights across Europe that are travelling to, from or through UK airspace”, according to a Reuters report.
A spokesperson for London Heathrow, the busiest hub in western Europe, said the airport was working with NATS and other airport partners to minimise the impact on passengers, while Gatwick, south of London, said it was seeing multiple delays and cancellations.
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