Flights Resume at Edinburgh Airport After IT Issue Causes Disruption
Air traffic control systems returned to normal yesterday morning after suspending flights due to a technical issue with its air navigation solutions provider, ANS. The disruption began on Friday morning, leaving passengers waiting in the terminal for hours as airlines scrambled to inform them of flight status.
EasyJet, British Airways, and Ryanair were among the airlines affected by the IT issue, resulting in cancellations, delays, and diversions across multiple flights, including transatlantic operations by Delta and United Airlines. Passengers such as a Swindon mother who was unable to attend her youngest child's last nativity play due to delayed flights expressed frustration at the situation.
The airport had initially advised passengers to contact airlines for updates on their flights before resolving the issue with ANS. With its services now restored, flight operations resumed, albeit with ongoing disruptions and delays expected.
This latest IT failure highlights ongoing challenges in maintaining air traffic control systems, particularly as aviation's reliance on technology continues to grow. Edinburgh airport has experienced similar issues in the past, including a global IT problem affecting CrowdStrike last July. The incident underscores the importance of effective backup systems and swift communication with airlines and passengers during such disruptions.
In a statement, ANS attributed the outage to a "technical issue," while Nats, which manages most of the UK's airspace, pledged to work closely with affected airlines to mitigate further disruption.
Air traffic control systems returned to normal yesterday morning after suspending flights due to a technical issue with its air navigation solutions provider, ANS. The disruption began on Friday morning, leaving passengers waiting in the terminal for hours as airlines scrambled to inform them of flight status.
EasyJet, British Airways, and Ryanair were among the airlines affected by the IT issue, resulting in cancellations, delays, and diversions across multiple flights, including transatlantic operations by Delta and United Airlines. Passengers such as a Swindon mother who was unable to attend her youngest child's last nativity play due to delayed flights expressed frustration at the situation.
The airport had initially advised passengers to contact airlines for updates on their flights before resolving the issue with ANS. With its services now restored, flight operations resumed, albeit with ongoing disruptions and delays expected.
This latest IT failure highlights ongoing challenges in maintaining air traffic control systems, particularly as aviation's reliance on technology continues to grow. Edinburgh airport has experienced similar issues in the past, including a global IT problem affecting CrowdStrike last July. The incident underscores the importance of effective backup systems and swift communication with airlines and passengers during such disruptions.
In a statement, ANS attributed the outage to a "technical issue," while Nats, which manages most of the UK's airspace, pledged to work closely with affected airlines to mitigate further disruption.
I think it's unfair on ANS for everyone to be so harsh about the IT failure. I mean, errors happen, right? 
And let's not forget, they fixed the issue pretty quickly, which is more than I can say for some airlines' customer service 
. But seriously, have you ever had a flight delayed or cancelled due to technical issues? It's stressful enough on its own, but add in the frustration of being stuck in the terminal waiting for updates and it's just a nightmare 
. And yeah, maybe they should've had better backup systems in place, but we're not going to hold them to an impossible standard here 
. The real question is, what's going to change now? More stringent testing and checks, or just more of the same? 
Only time will tell...
But on a silver lining note, it's awesome that the airport team and ANS worked together to resolve the problem quickly. That shows what happens when you've got a good team effort 
. I mean, sure, passengers like the Swindon mum are still gonna be stressed about missing her little one's nativity play 
, but at least they can get back home safely now 
️. And hey, it's not all bad - this just highlights how important it is to have backup systems in place and communicate effectively with airlines and passengers 
.
Edinburgh airport was all like "oh no" when their IT system went down and now flights are resume 
but still got delays & cancellations 
how frustrating 4 passengers especially dat mum who missed her little ones nativity play 
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At least now flights are back on track but let's hope it stays that way 
Air travel is supposed to be smooth sailing, but technology can throw a wrench into the works 
. As the saying goes, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." But in this case, it's more like "the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry" 
. It's always frustrating when IT issues cause flight delays and cancellations 
IT issues are so frustrating, especially when you're relying on technology for critical services like air traffic control. I mean, who wants to cancel a flight or be stuck in the terminal for hours? 
Anyway, glad the issue got resolved eventually, but hopefully, airlines can do better in the future to prevent these kinds of disruptions 
! Those delayed flights can really mess up your whole day, especially if you're a family person like that Swindon mom who had to miss her little one's nativity play 
. Let's hope the rest of the day goes smoothly for all those affected! 
! I mean, can't we just have reliable air travel for once? 
. And what's up with the airlines not having a backup plan? 
. And now they're stuck on the ground again because of another glitch 
. When will we have air travel that's, like, actually reliable?