Etihad Airline Issues Advisory For Passengers After UK Air Traffic System Failure

The Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways on Monday said all of its flights to the UK are planned to operate as scheduled but there might be delays due to Britain’s air traffic control system hit by a breakdown that slowed take-offs and landings.

“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,” the UAE national carrier said in a statement on Monday.

Britain’s flight control operator National Air Traffic Services’ (NATS) system was experiencing a “technical issue” that delayed flights to and from the European country. However, it was not clear how much time it would take to fix the technical glitch. But European air traffic authority Eurocontrol warned of “very high” delays because of a “flight data processing system failure” in the UK.

Currently, two UAE carriers Etihad Airways and Dubai-based Emirates operate direct flights to the UK, one of the busiest routes from the UAE.

Etihad advised passengers to ensure that their contacts are up-to-date so that they can be updated via SMS or email with regard to the latest information about flights to the UK.

“We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this system failure which is affecting all airports across the UK. The safety and comfort of our guests and crew is our number one priority,” said the statement.

British Airways said it was working closely with NATS to understand the impact of a technical issue that is affecting UK airspace.