Connect with us

Published

on

Air travel in the UK has been disrupted after air traffic control systems suffered a “technical fault” on Monday morning.

The issue was “identified and remedied” around 3.30pm on Monday – but that doesn’t mean a swift end to disruption.

Here’s what we know so far.

What is the fault?

NATS, the National Air Traffic Controllers said it had “identified and remedied” the technical issue affecting its flight planning system.

“We are now working closely with airlines and airports to manage the flights affected as efficiently as possible,” it said in a statement.

“Our engineers will be carefully monitoring the system’s performance as we return to normal operations.”

More on Travel Chaos

The fault had affected the system’s ability to automatically process flight plans, which means they had to be inputted manually by staff.

As this cannot be done at the same speed, traffic flow restrictions had to be enforced.

Earlier on Monday NATS said it had been hit by a “technical issue” but said the UK’s airspace was “not closed”.

They reduced the number of aircraft that could take off and land at a given time to manage flow.

What’s happening to flights?

For passengers, the changes to traffic flow restrictions means delays and possible cancellations.

Flights were being held on the tarmac or diverted to airports in Ireland or mainland Europe, travel journalist Simon Calder told Sky News.

“There are hundreds of planes up in the sky heading to the UK,” he said – meaning hundreds of thousands of passengers could be affected.

The August bank holiday is one of the busiest days of the year for air travel.

Mr Calder said some flights would be able to land as air traffic controllers switched from digital to “much more analogue” systems, but the rate would be much slower.

How long could the disruption last?

Even if the issue was fixed quickly, the system would likely be in “disarray” for at least the rest of Monday and possibly longer, Mr Calder said.

Aviation analyst and former BA pilot Alastair Rosenschein told Sky News it was “very difficult” to say when things would be back to normal.

But he offered some reassurance, saying the disruption looked to be “delays of hours rather than anything longer”.

He said the issues appeared to be a case of “patchy failure rather than total shutdown”.

Which airports are reporting disruption?

Airlines have released similar statements while they assess the likely impact of the situation.

Dublin Airport said there were some delays to flights in and out of the airport due to Air Traffic Control issues in the UK

“We advise all passengers due to travel today to check the status of their flight with their airline in advance of travelling,” it said.

Ireland’s Cork Airport has said the air traffic control issues are causing delays for some departing and arriving flights.

Gatwick Airport has warned cancellations are “likely” and it is “seeing delays”, after earlier saying flights were running as normal.

Luton Airport says: “We are aware of an air traffic control issue affecting UK airspace, resulting in disruption to flights.

“We are working with all relevant authorities to understand the full impact of the issue and when normal operations are likely to resume.

“Passengers should check with their airline for the latest status of their flight.”

Birmingham Airport says: “We are working to understand the full impacts of the air traffic control failure across UK airspace, and the likely timescales for to be resolved.

“Customers due to fly in or out of BHX are advised to keep a close eye on the latest information from their airlines, as well as live flight data on our website and on screens in our terminal.”

Heathrow Airport says it is “working closely” with NATS and other airports to “minimise the impact” on passengers. ‘

Stansted Airport says it is “fully operational” and is not experiencing any issues.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport warned of disruption, saying: “Whilst aircraft will be loaded on time, some flights may be subject to a delay.”

Newcastle International Airport says passengers face “disruption” and “some cancellations”.

Edinburgh Airport asks passengers “not [to] come to the airport before checking with their airline on the status of their flight”.

What are airlines saying?

Scottish airline Loganair, one of the first to report disruption, said there was a “network-wide failure of UK air traffic control computer systems” on Monday morning.

“Although we are hopeful of being able to operate most intra-Scotland flights on the basis of local coordination and with a minimum of disruption, north-south and international flights may be subject to delays,” the airline posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

It urged passengers to check its website for updates.

British Airways said it had been forced to make “significant changes” to its bank holiday schedule.

“If you are travelling on a short-haul service today, Monday August 28, please do not travel to the airport without checking the status of your flight, as it may no longer be operating,” the airline said.

EasyJet said: “We are providing customers on cancelled flights with the option to transfer their flight free of charge or receive a refund.”

What should I do if I’m travelling?

If you’re due to fly in or out of the UK today, check the status of your flight with your airline – this is what each airport and airline is currently advising.

If you’re already at the airport, keep an eye on display screens.

This article will continue to be updated with all the latest information you need if you’re due to travel.

You can also follow our live blog which will have updates on what’s going on.

What are my rights if my flight is delayed?

Disruption to air traffic control counts as an “extraordinary circumstance”.

That means it is out of the airline’s control – so they don’t have to offer compensation.

But if your flight is delayed by two hours or more, airlines must offer assistance under UK law.

They have a duty to provide:
• two free phone calls, faxes or emails (often by refunding the cost of your calls)
• free meals and refreshments appropriate to the delay (often in voucher form)
• free hotel accommodation and hotel transfers if an overnight stay is required.

Sometimes airlines may be unable to provide assistance to all passengers, particularly where staff are stretched – which could be the case with the mass delays seen today.

If this is the case, the Civil Aviation Authority says passengers should organise their own assistance and claim the cost back later.

“If you end up paying for things yourself, keep every receipt and do not spend more than is reasonable,” its website says.

It cautions airlines are unlikely to reimburse for alcohol or luxury hotels. Some airlines provide guidelines on what counts as reasonable expenses.

Continue Reading

UK

Gallagher brothers share a high-five and hug as Oasis reunite on stage after 16 years

Published

on

By

Gallagher brothers share a high-five and hug as Oasis reunite on stage after 16 years

Oasis have reunited on stage for the first time in almost 16 years – with brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher sharing a high five and the briefest of hugs as they closed a performance that for fans was more than worth the wait.

After the split in 2009, for many years Noel said he would never go back – and for a long time, as the brothers exchanged insults through separate interviews (and on social media, for Liam), it seemed pretty unlikely to ever happen.

But now, here they are. As they walked out on stage at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, all eyes were on the Gallaghers for a sense of their relationship – dare we say it, friendship? – now after all these years.

There was no reference to their fall-out or making up, but the gestures were there – lifting hands together as they walked out for the first time.

The headline "OASIS REUNITED" was shown on stage at the gig. Pic: PA
Image:
The headline “OASIS REUNITED” was shown on stage at the gig. Pic: PA

Fans at the Oasis gig. Pic: PA
Image:
Fans at the Oasis gig. Pic: PA

Headlines and tweets of speculation and then confirmation of the reunion filled the screens as the show started. “This is happening,” said one, repeatedly.

In the end, it was all about the music.

Liam has received criticism in the past for his voice not being what it once was during his solo or Beady Eye performances, but back on stage with his brother tonight he delivered exactly what fans would have hoped for – a raw, steely-eyed performance, snarling vocals, and the swagger that makes him arguably the greatest frontman of his day.

More on Oasis

This was Oasis sounding almost as good as they ever have.

Fans sang along and held up their phones to film as Oasis performed. Pic: PA
Image:
Fans sang along and held up their phones to film as Oasis performed. Pic: PA

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Oasis: ‘It’s good to be back’

They opened with Hello, because of course, “it’s good to be back”. And then Acquiesce, and those lyrics: “Because we need each other/ We believe in one another.”

The song is said to be about friendship in the wider sense, rather than their brotherly bond and sibling rivalry, but you can’t help but feel like it means something here.

Over two hours, they played favourite after favourite – including Morning Glory, Some Might Say, Cigarettes & Alcohol, Supersonic and Roll With It.

Liam Gallagher as Oasis takes to the stage in Cardiff. Pic: PA
Image:
Liam Gallagher as Oasis takes to the stage in Cardiff. Pic: PA

In the mid-section, Liam takes his break for Noel to sing Talk Tonight, Half The World Away and Little By Little; the tempo slows but there is by no means a lull, with the fans singing all his words back to him.

Liam returns for hits including Stand By Me, Slide Away, Whatever and Live Forever, before sending the crowd wild (or even wilder) with Rock And Roll Star.

Noel Gallagher performing on stage. Pic: PA
Image:
Noel Gallagher performing on stage. Pic: PA

An Oasis fan is pointing at the stage during the gig. Pic: PA
Image:
An Oasis fan is pointing at the stage during the gig. Pic: PA

When the reunion announcement was made last summer, it quickly became overshadowed by the controversy of dynamic pricing causing prices to rocket. As he has done on X before, Liam addressed the issue on stage with a joke.

“Was it worth the £4,000 you paid for the ticket?” he shouted at one point. “Yeah,” the crowd shouts back; seemingly all is forgiven.

After Rock And Roll Star, the dream that very quickly became a reality for this band, Noel introduced the rest of the group, calling Bonehead a “legend”.

Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs of Oasis. Pic: PA
Image:
Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs of Oasis. Pic: PA

Liam Gallagher carried a tambourine in his mouth during the concert. Pic: PA
Image:
Liam Gallagher carried a tambourine in his mouth during the concert. Pic: PA

Then he acknowledges all their young fans, some who maybe weren’t even born when they split. “This one is for all the people in their 20s who’ve never seen us before, who’ve kept this shit going,” he says before the encore starts with The Masterplan.

Noel follows with Don’t Look Back In Anger, and the screens fill with Manchester bees in reference to the arena bombing and how the song became the sound of hope and defiance for the city afterwards.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘I’d have paid £10,000 to see them’

Two fans sat on their friends' shoulders as Oasis performed. Pic: PA
Image:
Two fans sat on their friends’ shoulders as Oasis performed. Pic: PA

During Wonderwall, there’s a nice touch as Liam sings to the crowd: “There are many things I would like to say to you, but I don’t speak Welsh.”

It is at the end of Champagne Supernova, which closes the set, that it happens; Noel puts down his guitar, and they come together for a high-five and a back-slap, a blink-and-you’d miss it hug.

Read more:
What you need to know about the Oasis tour
Liam Gallagher hits out at council after fans branded ‘rowdy’

“Right then, beautiful people, this is it,” Liam had told the crowd as he introduced the song just a few minutes earlier. “Nice one for putting up with us over the years.”

From the roar of the audience, it’s safe to say most people here would agree it’s been worth it.

Continue Reading

UK

Former Arsenal player Thomas Partey charged with rape

Published

on

By

Former Arsenal player Thomas Partey charged with rape

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape.

The 32-year-old has also been charged with one count of sexual assault.

Two of the counts of rape relate to one woman, three counts relate to a second woman, and the one count of sexual assault relates to a third woman.

The incidents are alleged to have taken place between 2021 and 2022.

Metropolitan Police said he is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 5 August.

“The charges follow an investigation by detectives, which commenced in February 2022 after police first received a report of rape,” the force said.

Partey has just left Arsenal after his contract expired and was said to be attracting interest from clubs including Juventus, Barcelona and Fenerbahce.

The Ghanaian player was at the Emirates for five years after signing from Atletico Madrid and has also played dozens of times for his country.

His time with Arsenal was marked by recurring injuries but he played 130 times for the club in the Premier League, including 35 times last season when he scored four goals.

Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said: “Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward.”

Anyone who has information about the case, or has been impacted by it, is being asked to contact the Met Police.

Continue Reading

UK

Met Police release footage as more than 1,000 arrests made using live facial recognition technology

Published

on

By

Met Police release footage as more than 1,000 arrests made using live facial recognition technology

More than 1,000 criminals, including a paedophile found with a six-year-old girl, have been arrested by the Metropolitan Police using live facial recognition (LFR) cameras.

David Cheneler, 73, was among 93 registered sex offenders held by Met officers using the controversial technology since the start of last year.

He was discovered with the girl after he was identified by a camera on a police van in Camberwell, south London, in January.

Cheneler, from Lewisham, was jailed for two years in May after admitting breaching his sexual harm prevention order by being with a child under the age of 14.

The Met said a total of 1,035 arrests have been made using live facial recognition technology – where live footage is recorded of people as they walk past, capturing their faces, which are then compared against a database of wanted offenders.

If a match is determined, the system creates an alert which is assessed by an officer, who may decide to speak to the person.

They include more than 100 people alleged to have been involved in serious violence against women and girls (VAWG) offences such as strangulation, stalking, domestic abuse, and rape.

More on Crime

Adenola Akindutire admitted charges including robbery. Pic: Met Police
Image:
Adenola Akindutire admitted charges including robbery. Pic: Met Police

Adenola Akindutire was stopped during an operation in Stratford and arrested over the machete robbery of a Rolex watch, which left the victim with life-changing injuries after the attack in Hayes, west London.

Police said the 22-year-old, who was linked to a similar incident and had been released on bail, was in possession of a false passport and could have evaded arrest if it wasn’t for the technology.

Akindutire, of no fixed address, admitted charges including robbery, attempted robbery, grievous bodily harm, possession of a false identity document and two counts of possession of a bladed article and faces sentencing at Isleworth Crown Court.

 Darren Dubarry was stopped on his bike. Pic: Met Police
Image:
Darren Dubarry was stopped on his bike. Pic: Met Police

Darren Dubarry was caught with stolen designer clothes. Pic: Met Police
Image:
Dubarry was caught with stolen designer clothes. Pic: Met Police

Darren Dubarry, 50, was already wanted for theft when he was caught with stolen designer clothing in Dalston, east London, after riding past an LFR camera on his bike.

The 50-year-old, from Stratford, east London, was fined after pleading guilty to handling stolen goods.

Lindsey Chiswick, the Met’s LFR lead, hailed the 1,000 arrest milestone as “a demonstration of how cutting-edge technology can make London safer by removing dangerous offenders from our streets”.

“Live Facial Recognition is a powerful tool, which is helping us deliver justice for victims, including those who have been subjected to horrendous offences, such as rape and serious assault,” she said.

“It is not only saving our officers’ valuable time but delivering faster, more accurate results to catch criminals – helping us be more efficient than ever before.”

The Met say “robust safeguards” are in place, which ensure no biometric data is retained from anyone who walks past an LFR camera who isn’t wanted by police.

Almost 2 million faces scanned

But human rights group Liberty is calling for new laws to be introduced to govern how police forces use the technology after Liberty Investigates found almost 1.9 million faces were scanned by the Met between January 2022 and March this year.

Read more from Sky News:
Leaseholders to get stronger rights, powers and protections
PM told to ‘use Rayner – people like her’

Charlie Whelton, Liberty policy and campaigns officer, said: “We all want to feel safe in our communities, but technology is advancing quickly, and we need to make sure that our laws keep up.

“Any tech which has the potential to infringe on our rights in the way scanning and identifying millions of people does needs to have robust safeguards around its use to protect us all from abuse of power as we go about our daily lives.

“There is currently no overarching law governing police use of facial recognition in the UK, and we shouldn’t leave police forces to come up with these frameworks on their own.

“Almost two million faces have been scanned in London before Parliament has even decided what the laws should be.

“We need to catch up with other countries, and the law needs to catch up with the use. Parliament must legislate now and ensure that safeguards are in place to protect people’s rights where the police use this technology.”

Continue Reading

Trending