Summary
- The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has launched an independent investigation into the technical issue that caused flight delays and cancellations on August 28.
- Initial reports suggest that incorrectly filed flight plans may have triggered the system failure, and the ripple effect lasted for days.
- Jeff Halliwell has been appointed as the chair of the investigation, and the CAA aims to determine the root cause and make recommendations to prevent future incidents.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has launched an independent investigation into the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) technical issue that affected hundreds of flights on August 28. The lingering effects of the network-wide fault were evident in the days following the August 28 bank holiday. Due to the extent of the number of delayed and canceled flights, the CAA intends to find the cause of the incident.
The CAA has appointed Jeff Halliwell as the chair of the investigation, supported by a panel of two members. The agency aims to determine root causes and potential contributing factors to prevent future incidents of this scale.
Total ATC breakdown
On one of the busiest travel days in the UK, a network-wide fault in the air traffic control (ATC) system occurred. The ATC systems were blacked out, severely limiting the movement of flights in and out of the airport. Hundreds of flights were delayed and canceled as a result, leaving passengers stranded at busy UK airports.
Initial reports suggested that certain incorrectly filed flight plans may have triggered the system failure. While the problem was fixed within a few hours, the ripple effect across multiple airports lingered on for days.
Photo: London City Airport
The independent review by the CAA
The CAA is leading an independent review into the matter by establishing a team of experts led by Jeff Halliwell. The CAA aims to determine and report findings into the incident and provide necessary recommendations to prevent future incidents. According to the Joint-Interim Cheif Executive at the UK CAA, Rob Bishton,
“The events of the 28 August bank holiday had a significant impact on many passengers. That’s why we’ve launched this independent review to understand what happened and learn lessons for the future. We have appointed Jeff Halliwell, who will be supported by two further panel members, to bring a range of expertise to help determine and consider any recommendations to benefit both consumers and the wider aviation industry.”
Halliwell has plenty of experience in both executive and non-executive roles in public and business sectors. The former chair of slot coordinator at Airport Coordination Limited is expected to dig deeper into the events that caused the ATC blackout on August 28. Halliwell shared in a statement,
“This event had a significant impact on many passengers, businesses and the aviation industry and it is clear lessons need to be learnt. I am looking forward to working with industry and passengers to tackle this review to understand how the incident occurred, how it was managed and identify any recommendations.”
Photo: EQRoy/Shutterstock
The review committee is considering all available resources and arrangements to NATS personnel, their performance, and their impact on consumers. The committee will work closely with NATS. Simple Flying reached out to NATS. The firm said in an email statement,
We note the CAA’s terms of reference for their independent review of the August 28 system issue and will provide information as required to assist the Chair in his work.
What are your thoughts on the independent review of the ATC breakdown by the CAA? Was your flight affected during the event? Share your experience in the comments section.