No10 says 'wait for investigation' after suggestions French airline's error led to UK air traffic control chaos

29 August 2023, 13:04 | Updated: 30 August 2023, 06:38

Downing Street was not drawn on speculation a French airline's error was to blame for air traffic control havoc
Downing Street was not drawn on speculation a French airline's error was to blame for air traffic control havoc. Picture: Alamy

By Will Taylor

Downing Street has said it will wait to see the results of an investigation into the air traffic control fault after suggestions emerged that a French airline inputting error was to blame.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Reports have emerged that the firm in France may have triggered the fault by filing a flight plan incorrectly.

The failure forced air traffic controllers in Britain to sort plans manually, leading to a reduction in the amount of flights in the interest of safety.

It led to hundreds of cancelled flights and hours-long delays as passengers were left stranded in airports in the UK and abroad.

Read more: Brit stranded in Portugal for at least a week amid air traffic control chaos faces having to take unpaid leave

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Rishi Sunak's official spokesman did not rule out the possibility of an error from a French airline.

"There's going to be an investigation by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and a report shared with Government," he said.

Hundreds of flights have been scrapped after air traffic control chaos
Hundreds of flights have been scrapped after air traffic control chaos. Picture: Alamy

"I think (transport secretary) Mark Harper confirmed this morning he'll be getting that in days.

"I'm not going to pre-empt that. I've seen, obviously, various bits of speculation, but I'm not going to pre-empt the work that needs to be done."

He again confirmed Harper's earlier confirmation that it was a technical issue and not a cybersecurity breach.

Read more: Air traffic control chaos cancels 250,000 passengers' flights but disruption set to ease on Wednesday

Asked if British officials were speaking to their French counterparts, the spokesman said "you would expect them to be speaking regularly" with other countries "but I'm not aware of any specific conversations with French counterparts".

The disruption began on Bank Holiday Monday and was repaired within hours - but it led to dozens of flights getting cancelled even today.

Some 1,200 were scrapped on Monday as Brits were left at airports in the UK and abroad for hours.

A raft of holidays are at risk after cancellations and mass delays
A raft of holidays are at risk after cancellations and mass delays. Picture: Alamy

But there is hope the disruption will start to ease up on Wednesday.

Travel journalist Simon Calder told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast some 250,000 passengers had been affected across hundreds of cancelled and delayed flights but added: "Things will improve from tomorrow because, I think, by then pretty much all the airlines will have got their pilots and their planes and their cabin crew back where they need to be.

"At the moment, there's just planes strewn all over the place where they weren't expected to be, you've got issues with cabin crew and pilot rest, and that is causing a lot of the problems today.

"By cancelling so many flights, and we're up to about 80 on EasyJet, 60 on British Airways, 40 on Ryanair today, the idea is that you get everything back... press the reset button from Wednesday onwards, things can happen."

Juliet Kennedy, the operations director for National Air Traffic Services, apologised to passengers but warned "it will take some time for flights to return to normal".

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Large fire engulfs the abandoned Hotspur Press mill building near Oxford Road in Central Manchester. Credit Milo Chandler/Alamy Live News

Major fire in Manchester city centre causes serious disruption

Iran has launched an attack on a US military base.

Iran launches 'coordinated strike' on US base in Qatar as White House reports no casualties

Notorious criminal John 'Goldfinger' Palmer was murdered at his home in Brentwood in Essex in 2015. His killer has never been found

Who killed John 'Goldfinger' Palmer? Police make fresh appeal 10 years after his death

An RAF flight has left Israel carrying 63 UK nationals and their dependents, as the UK government begins evacuating British citizens from the country amid ongoing attacks between Iran and Israel.

First RAF flight evacuates 63 Briton from Israel as Lammy confirms one UK national injured in Iran missile attacks

Moment Israel blows up the front gate of Iran's notorious Evin prison

Israel blow's gates of Iran's notorious Evin Prison where many political prisoners are held

The DLR could be heading further south east of the Thames - not just the River Lea

Every railway line extension in London: Sadiq Khan's Thamesmead DLR ambition gets to next stage

Iranian protesters chant slogans and one holds a poster with a vampire-like illustration of US President Donald Trump in Revolution Square to protest US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran

LIVE: Trump 'simply raising question' of regime change - as Iran launches strike on US military base in Qatar

British Airways had stopped some flights to the Middle East over the weekend

UK flights restored to Dubai and Qatar

NATO says alliance's new defence investment plan will be 5% of GDP to ensure security and defence.

NATO to hike defence spending to 5% of GDP in major security push as chief warns Iran on developing nuclear weapon

Former Sky News presenter Dermot Murnaghan has announced his diagnosis with stage four prostate cancer.

Veteran news presenter Dermot Murnaghan diagnosed with ‘advanced’ stage 4 prostate cancer

Dozens of bodies have been recovered from the Balearic Islands, including Majorca, this year.

Holiday horror as five bodies with shackled hands and feet wash up on beach at tourist hotspot

Police speak to a person taking part in a demonstration at Trafalgar Square in London in support of Palestine Action.

Palestine Action clashes with police after government 'bans' them under anti-terror laws

Exclusive
Ellis' killer is still at large one year after his murder.

'So broken and lost' : Mum desperate for answers over son's gun murder as killer remains at large

Ugly scenes break out as Palestine Action protesters and police clash in Trafalgar Square

Palestine Action clashes with police after government 'bans' them under anti-terror laws

Exclusive
Chancellor And Business Secretary Launch The Government's Industrial Strategy

Rachel Reeves hints she could water down non-dom policy and tells LBC 'we'll always look at the evidence'

Demonstrators gesture toward a police line during a protest by Palestine Action group in London, Monday, June 23, 2025.

Met Police ban Palestine Action protests outside Houses of Parliament