According to the UK Home Office, a wider system network issue was detected at 19:44 local time and a 鈥渓arge scale鈥� contingency response was activated within six minutes. All e-gates were back online shortly after midnight.

The Home Office also said there was 鈥渘o indication鈥� of malicious activity behind the outage and border security was not compromised.

E-gates use facial recognition to check a traveler精东影业 identity and allow them to enter the country without having to be processed or spoken to by a Border Force officer.

During the outage, airport staff resorted to manually processing passengers. The incident came at a peak travel period with many travelers returning home from a long weekend. 

A number of passengers took to social media to upload photographs and video footage of the almost-five hour ordeal and the chaos experienced at airports across the country. 

Airports affected by the outage were London-Heathrow Airport (LHR), London-Gatwick Airport (LGW), London-Stansted Airport (STN), Edinburgh Airport (EDI), Birmingham Airport (BHX), Manchester Airport (MAN) and Bristol Airport (BRS). 

ATC outage in the UK causes flight disruptions on flights from/to the UK

• Airlines
• Airport

byRytis Beresnevicius

2023-08-28

The three major UK airports were initially set to abolish the 100ml liquid carry-on restrictions by June 1, 2024. 

Technology incorporated into the new airport scanners will negate the need for passengers to take out toiletries and laptops from their cabin bags for security checks. 

The BBC has reported that the installation delay for the new scanners could last up to a year, meaning that passengers passing through these airports could still be required to adhere to current airport security protocols up until June 2025.

Smaller airports in the UK seem to be faring better. Teesside International Airport (MME) and London City Airport (LCY) already have the new scanners installed. Meanwhile, Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA), Birmingham Airport (BHX)t, Bristol Airport (BRS) and East Midlands Airport (EMA) are expected to meet the June 1, 2024 deadline.  

According to the UK Department of Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority will impose financial penalties on airports that keep missing deadlines to install the next-generation scanners.

The new scanners feature computed tomography (CT) scans that provide clearer 3D images. Consequently, items can be left inside bags and liquids of up to two liters will be permitted.

London airport scraps 100ml liquid rule and reveals new process for electronics

• Airport
• Aviation Safety

byIan Molyneaux

2023-04-04

The new route will see flights take off between the UK精东影业 third biggest city and Shanghai from July 1, 2024, in a first for an airport outside London.听听

Flights will run three times a week on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with business and economy classes. 

The new route is seen as a major boost for the region that will help to deliver economic growth and will serve more than 13,500 Chinese residents who live in Manchester and hundreds of thousands of students from China living within a two-hour drive of MAN.听听

A further 8,000 Chinese people live in Liverpool, 7,000 in Sheffield and 6,000 in Leeds. 

Shanghai is China精东影业 biggest city and its financial hub, with around 185,000 people from across the north of England already travelling there indirectly each year. 

The Shanghai-Manchester route was first announced in 2019 and was due to launch in March 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I am delighted to see that with the joint efforts of all parties, the Shanghai-Manchester route will resume this July, becoming the first direct scheduled passenger route between Shanghai and Manchester. On behalf of Juneyao Air, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all partners and passengers for their support over the years,鈥� said Juneyao Air Chairman, Wang Junjin. 

He added: 鈥淚 also hope this route will bring more business opportunities and flexible travel options to all passengers, and promote economic exchanges between Shanghai and Manchester, as well as between China and the UK.” 

When a route from Manchester to Beijing was first launched in 2016 export values from Manchester Airport to China grew 41% and enquiries about investment in the area from China doubled in the two years that followed. 

鈥淲e are proud to connect the North to the world, whether that精东影业 for tourism, leisure or to help family and friends visit each other. The fact that Juneyao Air has chosen Manchester as its first UK service is a huge boost to the region for so many reasons. It will allow people to travel and see one of the world精东影业 most incredible cities, open up opportunities for business and trade with China精东影业 financial hub and help the North精东影业 Chinese community connect with their family and friends,鈥� Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said.听

The new route to Shanghai will complement the existing service from Manchester to Beijing with Hainan Airways.听

In Europe currently flies directly to Finland, Greece, and Italy.听听

Malaysia Airlines forms multi-year global partnership with Manchester United听

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2024-03-22

The Airbus A319-132 aircraft, registered JY-AYP, touched down at STN on March 3, 2024, after departing Queen Alia International Airport in Amman (AMM).听

From March 6, 2024, the oneworld Alliance member will also commence flights to Manchester Airport (MAN) in another first for the carrier.  

Flights between STN and AMM will run every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, while flights between Manchester and the Jordanian capital will operate three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.听听

鈥淲e are delighted to add another exciting destination to London Stansted’s network, giving our passengers even more choice with a world-class airline. The route will give tourists the opportunity to visit this wonderful country and see the golden triangle, which includes the Wadi Rum desert, Petra, one of the seven wonders of the world, and Aqaba, a popular diving site on the Red Sea,” Simon Gorrighan, Stansted精东影业 Aviation Director, said.听听

Royal Jordanian already operates flights from London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Amman. 

鈥淥ur new route to London Stansted will make it easier than ever for tourists from the UK to discover Jordan精东影业 incredible wonders. Promoting and driving tourism to the Kingdom is a key focus of our new corporate strategy鈥攁s is our emphasis on further developing Amman as the primary gateway to the Levant by offering improved connectivity to our broader network,鈥� Royal Jordanian’s Chief Commercial Officer, Karim Makhlouf, said in December 2024.  

As well as expanding into new markets, Royal Jordanian is also focused on adding to its fleet with plans to increase from 24 to 40 aircraft within the next five years.听

JetBlue and Spirit end plans to challenge ‘Big 4’ US airlines with merger

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2024-03-04

Flight SQ 52, flying from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), was scheduled to land in Manchester, United Kingdom, at 02:30 local time. 

The A350-900, with registration 9V-SJB, was forced to divert to East Midlands Airport (EMA), approximately 130 kilometers from MAN.

The aircraft landed safely at EMA at 10:14 local time. 

A spokesperson for Singapore Airlines told 精东影业 that after refueling, and weather conditions had improved around Manchester Airport, SQ52 took off from EMA Airport at 11:44 local time and arrived safely at MAN at 12:24 local time.

All 201 passengers and 17 crew aboard SQ52 were safe.

Code 7700 is used by aircraft to declare a general emergency. Some of the most common include medical emergencies, engine failure, problems with pressurization or landing gear, issues with flight control,etc.

鈥淲e want to assure that the safety of our passengers and crew is always our top priority. We sincerely apologize to the affected customers for any inconvenience the diversion may have caused their travel plans,鈥� the spokesperson said.

• Civil Aviation

British Airways A380 squawks 7700 due to medical emergency

byValius Venckunas

2023-02-13

On October 17, 2023, the UK airport was temporarily closed while (GMP) isolated the superjumbo aircraft on the airfield.听听

According to police officers they were made aware of an 鈥渆mail claiming there was a suspicious package on a flight鈥� arriving from the United Arab Emirates. 

When flight EK19 landed at Manchester Airport at 7.22 pm local time, emergency vehicles surrounded the Airbus A380 so further assessment could be carried out.听

Later in the evening GMP confirmed that security checks were completed and that no suspicious items had been found on the flight.  

鈥淎t around 7.20pm this evening, Tuesday October 17, Greater Manchester Police were made aware of an email claiming there was a suspicious package on a flight. The aircraft had landed at Manchester Airport and was held for further assessment. Searches and security checks have been completed, and no suspicious items have so far been found,鈥� GMP said in a statement. 

The spokesperson added: 鈥淧assengers have now disembarked the aircraft with extra officers on hand to answer any questions and offer visible reassurance. No arrests have been made at this stage.鈥� 

Emirates also confirmed its flight to Manchester was subjected to additional security checks upon arrival following the bomb threat. 

An Emirates spokesperson said: “Emirates crew and ground teams co-operated fully with the authorities. After the local authorities cleared the aircraft, it proceeded to the gate where passengers disembarked as normal.”听

Emirates A380 bound for Sydney returns to Dubai due to engine trouble

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2023-10-17

Ryanair Flight FR4052 took off from Manchester at 6 am on September 18, 2023. and was due to arrive in Portugal around two hours later, but after only a short time in the air the pilot made the decision to return to the English airport.

An eyewitness on the flight told the that a passenger on board the Boeing 737 “got very violent and started a mid-air fight”.

A female passenger travelling with the man then reportedly slapped him 鈥渉ard across the face” due to his behavior towards another female on the aircraft.

Ryanair confirmed that crew members requested police assistance after the passenger became disruptive.

Once back at MAN police officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) entered the aircraft, register EI-EBK, and removed the alleged unruly passenger.

鈥淭his is now a matter for local police. We sincerely apologize to affected passengers for any inconvenience caused as a result of this passenger精东影业 disruptive behavior,鈥� Ryanair said in a statement.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that officers were notified of the incident at around 6:25 am.

鈥淯pon the plane returning to Manchester Airport, a man in his thirties was arrested on suspicion of being drunk on an aircraft, two counts of common assault and a Section 4a public order and remains in police custody for questioning,鈥� a spokesperson for GMP said.

The flight eventually left Manchester and landed in Faro later that morning.

British Airways pilot banned for refusing to wear COVID mask loses legal fight听

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2023-09-19

Heathrow Airport advised passengers to arrive at least two hours prior to departure for inter-Europe flights, and at least three hours prior to departure for other international flights.

The UK Border Force is performing the extra security checks after a nationwide manhunt was launched for ex-soldier Daniel Abed Khalife, a terrorist suspect who escaped Wandsworth prison on September 6, 2023.

The that passengers who have already gone through the airports鈥� security halls were asked to show their IDs once again for additional checks, causing long queues.

Khalife, 21, was awaiting trial at HM Prison Wandsworth in London after being accused of leaving fake bombs at a military base.

Police have launched a public appeal to provide information on Khalife精东影业 whereabouts.

Khalife was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, red and white checkered trousers and brown steel toe cap boots.

It is believed Khalife escaped via a prison kitchen by strapping himself to the underside of a food delivery van.

Observant social media users pointed out that the escape route is similar to the 2017 film Paddington 2, where the beloved bear breaks out of prison via the kitchen with the help of fellow inmates. 

Although Paddington escaped using a hot air balloon rather than a food delivery van, both jail breaks were conducted via the prison kitchen. 

Passenger manages to go through airport security with boarding pass found in trash

• Airport

byJean Carmela Lim

2023-08-09

Airlines and airports have warned passengers that potential disruptions could continue on August 29, 2023, a day after NATS, the ATC provider for the UK, suffered a technical issue with its systems.

鈥淔lights may be subject to delay or cancellation as a result of yesterday精东影业 technical issues with Air Traffic Control systems across UK airspace,鈥� London Luton Airport (LTN) said in a statement published to X (formerly known as Twitter) on August 29, 2023.

In a statement published to X on the same day, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) noted that 鈥渢here may be some continuing disruption on some routes, including flight cancellations鈥�.

鈥淚t is important for all passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport and for those passengers who need to rebook to contact their airline directly rather than travelling to Heathrow,鈥� the statement continued.

鈥淟ike other airlines operating in the UK, we are continuing to experience the knock-on effects of yesterday精东影业 NATS Air Traffic Control issue, which includes unavoidable delays and cancellations,鈥� a British Airways spokesperson said in an email to 精东影业.

鈥淐ustomers travelling today on short-haul services can move their flight to a later date free of charge if they wish, subject to availability,鈥� the spokesperson continued.

According to an airport disruption map on Flightdar24.com, while flights to UK airports have been arriving with few delays, departures from several airports within the country have been impacted.

London-Gatwick Airport (LGW) and Belfast International Airport (BFS) are continuing to experience major problems, while Glasgow International Airport (GLA), Manchester International Airport (MAN), Birmingham Airport (BHX), Bristol Airport (BRS), LHR, and Ireland精东影业 Dublin Airport (DUB) have witnessed 鈥渕inor problems with some delays or few cancelations鈥�.

Meanwhile, EUROCONTROL精东影业 Network Operations Portal (NOP) warned of some delays at airports across the UK, with a map showing delays of up to 15 and 30 minutes for certain areas of the country at the time of writing. In its latest tactical update at 7:00 am UTC, the company did not highlight any 鈥渕oderate to high delays鈥� within the UK airspace.

NATS encountered issues with its systems on August 28, 2023. In an initial statement at 12:10 pm local time (UTC +1) on August 28, 2023, the company said that it was 鈥渆xperiencing a technical issue鈥� and has 鈥渁pplied traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety鈥�.

In an update provided later the same day at 2:20 pm local time (UTC +1), the ATC provider clarified that the problem affected its ability to automatically process flight plans, forcing controllers to input flight plans manually. As such, the company had to restrict the flow of traffic from and to the UK.

The problem was fixed by 3:15 pm local time (UTC +1), with NATS saying that it had 鈥渋dentified and remedied the technical affecting our flight planning system this morning鈥�.

UK ATC forced to file flight plans manually following IT issue

• Airport

byRytis Beresnevicius

2023-08-28

鈥淭his morning精东影业 technical issue is affecting our ability to automatically process flight plans,鈥� NATS said in its previous update. Until the issue is resolved, flight plans are being input manually.

Because of this, the organization struggled to process them at the same volume and has applied traffic flow restrictions.

鈥淥ur technical experts are looking at all possible solutions to rectify this as quickly as possible,鈥� NATS added.

Flightradar24.com data showed that arrivals at several UK airports, including London City (LCY) and Gatwick Airports (LGW), as well as Edinburgh Airport (EDI) and Belfast International Airport (BFS), are experiencing major disruptions. Meanwhile, departing flights from several more airports are facing long delays, while other flights were canceled, according to the flight tracking service精东影业 airport disruption map data.

鈥淥ur priority is ensuring every flight in the UK remains safe and doing everything we can to minimise the impact,鈥� NATS concluded in its latest update, adding that it is 鈥渟incerely sorry for the disruption this is causing鈥�.

The company did not provide an estimate timeline for a fix.

Several airlines and airports have warned of potential flight disruptions while the UK精东影业 ATC service tackles the technical problem, including British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, and Loganair.

As of 3:15 PM local time (UTC +1), the issue was fixed, according to NATS’ latest update. “We are now working closely with airlines and airports to manage the flights affected as efficiently as possible,” the company added.

“Our engineers will be carefully monitoring the system精东影业 performance as we return to normal operations.”

ATC outage in the UK causes flight disruptions on flights from/to the UK

• Airlines
• Airport

byRytis Beresnevicius

2023-08-28

UPDATE August 28, 2023, 5:40 PM (UTC +3):听The article was updated with听a statement from NATS.