An air traffic control meltdown that left thousands of passengers stranded was caused by a 'software glitch' with the radar systems, sources have revealed, amid warnings travel chaos could last for days.
More than 150 flights were cancelled across Britain on Wednesday after a malfunction left air traffic controllers at the National Air Traffic Service (Nats) control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire, with a patchy picture of the airspace.
At least 16 flights to and from London Heathrow, the busiest airport in Europe, have been cancelled today, with insiders claiming air traffic control (ATC) 'is still running on back-up systems'.
Up to a million furious passengers have also been told they may not be entitled to compensation despite families being left stranded at the height of the summer holiday season.
It has led to growing calls today - led by Ryanair's chief operating officer - for Martin Rolfe, the millionaire head of taxpayer-backed Nats, to resign or be sacked in the wake of yet another ATC disaster following the 2023 meltdown.
