The U.K. is experiencing flight delays, causing chaos in airlines. Mark Harper, the British transport minister, announced on Tuesday, Aug. 29, that the flight disruptions could last for days. 

UK Flight Delays Could Last for Days, Says British Transport Minister

(Photo: DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images) Passengers wait at Stansted Airport, north of London, on August 29, 2023, after UK flights were delayed over a technical issue. Flights to and from the UK were experiencing disruptions after Britain's air traffic control systems were temporarily hit by a technical fault.

According to Reuters' latest report, airline delays and cancellations could last for days before they are resolved, as stated by Harper. 

On Monday, Aug. 28, more than 1,500 flights were canceled because air traffic controllers had to switch to manual systems. 

Cirium, an aviation analytics company, said that the 1,500 canceled include 790 flights departing airports in the United Kingdom and 785 flights that were supposed to be arriving in the country on Monday. 

All these disruptions were caused by a technical issue. As of press time, Harper said that it is still unclear if the problem was caused by a cyber attack. 

"There is going to be some knock-on impact today and I suspect for another few days as airlines get their planes and get their services back to normal," said the British transport minister. 

The National Air Traffic Service (NATS) also said that it would take some time before U.K. flights can go back to normal. 

"We will continue to work with the airlines and the airports to recover the situation," said NATS Operations Director Juliet Kennedy via CNBC.  

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Flight Chaos in the UK 

(Photo: DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images) Passengers wait at Stansted Airport, north of London, on August 29, 2023, after UK flights were delayed over a technical issue. Flights to and from the UK were experiencing disruptions after Britain's air traffic control systems were temporarily hit by a technical fault. The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said it had "identified and remedied" a technical issue which forced it to impose traffic flow restrictions.

The ongoing flight chaos in the United Kingdom is a serious one as thousands of passengers are affected. 

Heathrow Airport, the country's busiest hub, said that its flight schedules remain disrupted. It advised passengers to contact their airline before heading to the airport to avoid issues. 

Gatwick Airport also told passengers to check their flight status with their airline before visiting the airport. 

Meanwhile, the London Luton Airport said that flights across the United Kingdom are expected to experience delays and cancellations in the following days. 

"Airlines will have a major headache now, looking after customers and getting the planes back to some normal schedule again," said Sally Gethin, a British aviation analyst via BBC.  

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