Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe has been ordered to report within a week on the technical failure that grounded thousands of UK flights, as the transport secretary said she did not believe the issue was unavoidable.
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The head of the UK air traffic control provider Nats has been given a week to report back on the reasons for a technical failure that has disrupted thousands of flights since Tuesday, according to the Guardian.
Downing Street said the government still had confidence in Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe, who was summoned to meet the UK transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, on Wednesday morning as the number of flight cancellations passed 2,000.
The transport secretary struck a critical tone over the disruption, declaring that she did “not believe the issue was unavoidable”. The Guardian reported that the government remains confident in the under-pressure Rolfe, but that Alexander believes the glitch was avoidable.
Alexander said she had also commissioned an independent review by the Civil Aviation Authority into the latest Nats meltdown, which the Guardian said severely disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
The technical failure grounded thousands of flights and left large numbers of travellers facing cancellations. The one-week deadline is intended to establish what caused the outage and why it was able to have such a widespread effect on air travel.
The developments mark the latest scrutiny of Nats following disruption to the UK’s air traffic system, with both a rapid internal report and a separate independent review now under way.
Why it matters
Flight cancellations on this scale affect hundreds of thousands of passengers and place pressure on the air traffic system that underpins UK travel. The government's demand for a swift report and an independent review signals concern that the failure could have been prevented and may not be an isolated incident.
Frequently asked questions
How many flights were cancelled?
According to the Guardian, more than 2,000 flights had been cancelled since Tuesday following the Nats technical failure.
Who has to report on the failure and when?
Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe has been given one week to report back on the reasons for the technical failure.
Is there an independent investigation?
Yes. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said she has commissioned an independent review by the Civil Aviation Authority into the Nats meltdown.
Timeline
- Air traffic control boss given a week to report after UK flight chaos cancels 2,000-plus flights
The Guardian World: Government remains confident in under-pressure Martin Rolfe but transport secretary believes glitch was avoidable Business live – latest updates How have you been affected by UK air traffic disruption? The head of the air traffic control provider Nats has been given a week to rep
- Air traffic control boss given a week to report after UK flight chaos causes 2,000 cancellations
The Guardian World: Government remains confident in under-pressure Martin Rolfe but transport secretary believes glitch was avoidable How have you been affected by UK air traffic disruption? Business live – latest updates The head of the air traffic control provider Nats has been given a week to rep
- Nats boss given one week to deliver report into UK flight chaos
The Guardian World: No 10 says it still has confidence in Martin Rolfe, who is scheduled to brief Heidi Alexander after flight cancellations pass 2,000 Business live – latest updates How have you been affected by UK air traffic disruption? The head of the air traffic control provider Nats has been g