Computer fault disrupts flights

Scores of flights have been cancelled after a computer glitch at the UK's main air traffic control centre.

The problem started just before 4pm on Thursday when a fault occurred at Swanwick Air Traffic Control Centre in Hampshire.

This led air traffic control company NATS to restrict the number of planes entering UK airspace as well as those taking off from major UK airports, causing serious disruption.

A NATS spokesman said that the problem was resolved and the centre was "full steam ahead" at 7pm.

Passengers at airports across the country faced delays as inbound flights waited to land and departures were grounded at Cardiff and London's City airport.

Flights were cancelled a number of airports including Heathrow, Luton, Gatwick and Cardiff.

A spokeswoman for British Airways said short haul cancellations were "inevitable".

Heathrow saw 35 cancellations but a spokeswoman said: "Most short haul flights are now operating almost normally".

A spokeswoman for Stansted said passengers were suffering delays.

At City Airport operators were confident that the "slight backlog" would be cleared by the end of Thursday evening.

In Cardiff passengers travelling to Belfast, Newcastle and Edinburgh saw their flights cancelled and others were facing delays of up to two and a half hours.

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