UK air traffic chaos 'not result of cyberattack,' says transport minister

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) – British Transport Secretary Mark Harper on Tuesday said that a technical breakout in the country's air control system was not the result of an attack on cybersecurity.

Speaking to Sky News, Harper has issued an apology for the widespread air traffic control malfunction that occurred on Monday, noting that such extensive issues have not been seen in nearly a decade.

Mark Harper emphasized that cybersecurity concerns have been ruled out by technical experts, and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is poised to conduct an investigation.

"There will be a report that comes to me and we'll look at that very carefully to see whether there are changes that need to be put in place suddenly on this scale hasn't happened for almost a decade. Normally, the system works very well and we obviously want to look to see if there's anything we can do to avoid this disruption in the future," he explained.

Airline passengers have been cautioned about potential extended flight disruptions as a technical breakdown in the UK's air traffic control system left hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded on Monday and it is expected to continue on Tuesday.

Returning holidaymakers and those intending to depart from UK airports encountered flight cancellations and delays of up to 12 hours due to a widespread computer failure that affected both outgoing and incoming flights.

The technical breakdown in the country’s air traffic control system resulted in a holiday weekend filled with frustration as 500 flights were canceled and numerous others faced significant delays, according to British media.

Heathrow Airport has announced that there will be ongoing disruptions to its services. Passengers are strongly advised to get in touch with their respective airlines before making their way to the airport.

"The flight schedules are still experiencing the aftermath of yesterday's airspace restrictions in the UK. Although most passengers will still be able to proceed with their travel plans, regrettably, some routes, including flight cancellations, will experience disruptions," a spokesperson for the airport said.​​​​​​​