London airspace closed after computer failure

[george]

BREAKING NEWS
London airspace closed after computer failure

London airspace has been closed until 19:00 GMT after a computer failure, air traffic controllers have said.

The news was announced in a brief message on flight safety body Eurocontrol's website.

UK air traffic controllers Nats confirmed a "technical problem" at its Swanwick control centre in Hampshire.

It said in a statement "every possible action" was being taken to resolve the problem.

London's airports reported:

- at Heathrow Airport flights were "currently experiencing delays" and planes could be turned away

- Incoming flights to Gatwick are continuing to land and all departing flights grounded
- Stansted say it is currently working with Nats to find out how it will affect the airport
- Eurocontrol said: "There has been a failure of the flight data computer server at London ACC [area control centre].

"Engineers are working on the problem and more information will be given when available."


-- BBC 2014-12-12

[george]

London airspace shut after 'computer failure'

London's airspace has been shut following a computer failure, air navigation bosses have confirmed.

Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, said a computer failure is affecting London airspace, which could cause "potentially severe" flight delays.

A statement from air traffic management group NATS said: "NATS can confirm that a technical problem has been reported at Swanwick air traffic control centre.

"We apologise for any delays and our incident response team has been mobilised.

"Every possible action is being taken to assist in resolving the situation and to confirm the details."

More follows

Source: independent.co.uk

[NeverSure]

Uh, They don't have redundancy in the system? No authoritative replicating parallel servers offsite? It said something about "a" server.

I hope there's more to this than what's in the story.

[george]

London airspace CLOSED and ALL Heathrow flights on hold after computer failure

ALL airspace over London will be CLOSED until 7pm today, according to reports.

According to the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, a computer failure has resulted in all airspace over the capital being closed.

All flights from Heathrow have reportedly been put on hold because of the error.

NATS, the main air navigation service provider in the UK, confirmed that a technical problem had been reported at Swanwick Air Traffic Control centre.

A statement on NATS' website said: "NATS can confirm that a technical problem has been reported at Swanwick air traffic control centre.

"We apologise for any delays and our incident response team has been mobilised.

"Every possible action is being taken to assist in resolving the situation and to confirm the details.

"Further information will be released as it becomes available."

Online flight maps showed dozens of planes over Heathrow and severe delays are now expected.

Heathrow Airport said in a tweet from its official account: "Flights are currently experiencing delays due to a power outage at NATS control centre affecting UK airspace."

At Gatwick, incoming flights are continuing to land while all departing flights are grounded.

Stanstead said that it is currently working with NATS to find out how the airport will be affected.

More to follow.

-- express.co.uk 2014-12-12

[george]

London airspace closed after computer glitch; flights grounded

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- The airspace over London has been closed due to a computer failure on Friday, preventing flights from taking off at Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

The closure, which is expected to last until 7 p.m. local time, is due to a computer failure at the Swanwick air-traffic control center, air-traffic control body NATS said in a statement posted online.

"Flights are currently experiencing delays and we will update passengers as soon as we have more information," a spokesman for Heathrow Airport said. Gatwick Airport said that while there is "an impact" on departing flights, the closure is not affecting arrivals. The other three major London airports -- Luton, Stansted and City Airport -- are also likely to see disruption, with the possibility of flight delays spreading to Europe and the rest of the U.K., media reports said.

-- Marketwatch 2012-12-12

[george]

UK air traffic control says system has been restored, in process of returning to normal operations. /via @Reuters

[jacko45k]

Didn't this happen within the last few years before.

Rather disappointing that a service so many depend on is so vulnerable.

[englishoak]

It was and now it isnt ............ woooosh.

[Greer]

I am stunned that a system so critical to air safety seems to be vulnerable like this.

Surely there are multiple redundant systems that can take over, "live" in the event that the main systems goes down?

[Suradit69]

Uh, They don't have redundancy in the system? No authoritative replicating parallel servers offsite? It said something about "a" server.

I hope there's more to this than what's in the story.

Seems an annual event. Wasn't there a similar balls-up last December?

I blame it on the farang culture and educational system.

[DaiHard]

The place is falling apart.

[Jonmarleesco]

Seemingly, they have been using antique software.

Given their unpreparedness at Heathrow when, following the Icelandic volcano fallout, a hardly unpredictably massive influx of passengers arrived to chaos, and lounging baggage staff, nothing surprises.

Edited December 13, 2014 by Jonmarleesco

[bangon04]

Seemingly, they have been using antique software.

Given their unpreparedness at Heathrow when, following the Icelandic volcano fallout, a hardly unpredictably massive influx of passengers arrived to chaos, and lounging baggage staff, nothing surprises.

It's just such a third world airport and city... another nail in the coffin of UK tourism.