Hundreds more flights cancelled as transport secretary apologises for air traffic control fault

Published

2 years ago

August 29, 2023

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Hundreds of flights around the UK have been cancelled after yesterday’s air traffic control disruption, as the transport secretary apologised for the fault – saying issues on this scale “haven’t happened for a decade”.

The incident on Bank Holiday Monday meant flight plans had to be uploaded to systems manually, slowing or cancelling air traffic across the country.

Thousands of passengers were affected by yesterday’s disruption – and many are still waiting for their flights into today.

Some 790 departures and 785 arrivals at UK airports were cancelled on Monday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium – around 27% of all scheduled flights in and out of the country.

Britons sleeping on floors in airports – live updates

Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary criticised the UK NATS in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday afternoon, saying it was “not acceptable” the system had gone down without a backup.

“We still haven’t had an explanation from them [about] what exactly caused this failure, and where were their backup systems?

“It’s simply not acceptable that UK NATS would allow their systems to be taken down and everybody’s flights get cancelled.”

He added 250 flights were cancelled by his airline on Monday, and another 70 flights would be cancelled until the end of the day on Tuesday.

Mark Harper stressed that technical experts have ruled out a cybersecurity incident, with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) set to investigate.

“Something on this scale hasn’t happened for almost a decade – normally the system works very well,” Mr Harper told Sky News.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Mr Harper would remind airlines about their responsibilities to passengers hit by air traffic control disruption, telling reporters: “I know people will be enormously frustrated by the disruption that’s impacting them.

Mr Sunak added: “The transport secretary is in constant dialogue with all the industry participants, he will be talking to airlines specifically later today and making sure that they support passengers to get home as quickly as possible.”

Flights are running – but there are warnings of cancellations and delays

There have been reports of heated scenes at airports across Europe, with “fists flying” in Palma as exasperated tourists struggle to return home, while others sleep out in airports in the hope of catching a new flight.

Heathrow Airport says services will remain disrupted today – and passengers are being urged to contact their airline before heading to the terminal.

More than 60 flights have been cancelled at the west London airport – made up of at least 32 departures and 31 arrivals.

Elsewhere, London Gatwick said it plans to operate a normal schedule on Tuesday following the disruption, though at least 23 departures and 51 arrivals were listed as cancelled at the airport.

Outside of London, most airports appear to be returning to a normal schedule, with Glasgow saying a handful of flights will be disrupted as a result of Monday’s issue, while departure boards at Manchester and Bristol airports show a small number of services have been cancelled.

‘I don’t like the ending to this story’

Travellers from the UK have reported disruption both in the UK and abroad – with some saying they may not be able to fly until the weekend.

TV host Ore Oduba posted on Instagram saying his cancelled easyJet flight from Greece left them “stranded” with no supplies for their two toddlers, mocking the voucher they had been offered from the airline.

Meanwhile, athletes and broadcasters who have been out at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, have also reported delays, with sport presenter Jeanette Kwakye writing on X, formerly known as Twitter: “No idea when I’ll be back, any suggestions for ways home that don’t involve 36 hours of travelling or endangering my life are welcome.”

She added: “I don’t like the ending to this story.”

Politics

Court grants 60-day pause of SEC, Ripple appeals case

Published

3 hours ago

April 16, 2025

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Court grants 60-day pause of SEC, Ripple appeals case

An appellate court has granted a joint request from Ripple Labs and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to pause an appeal in a 2020 SEC case against Ripple amid settlement negotiations.

In an April 16 filing in the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the court approved a joint SEC-Ripple motion to hold the appeal in abeyance — temporarily pausing the case — for 60 days. As part of the order, the SEC is expected to file a status report by June 15.

Law, Ripple, SEC, Court — *April 16 order approving a motion to hold an appeal in abeyance. Source: PACER*

The SEC’s case against Ripple and its executives, filed in December 2020, was expected to begin winding down after Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced on March 19 that the commission would be dropping its appeal against the blockchain firm. A federal court found Ripple liable for $125 million in an August ruling, resulting in both the SEC and blockchain firm filing an appeal and cross-appeal, respectively.

However, once US President Donald Trump took office and leadership of the SEC moved from former chair Gary Gensler to acting chair Mark Uyeda, the commission began dropping multiple enforcement cases against crypto firms in a seeming political shift. Ripple pledged $5 million in XRP to Trump’s inauguration fund, and Garlinghouse and chief legal officer Stuart Alderoty attended events supporting the US president.

Despite support for the end of the case coming from both Ripple and the SEC, the August 2024 judgment and appellate cases leave some legal entanglements. Alderoty said in March that Ripple would drop its cross-appeal with the SEC and receive a roughly $75 million refund from the lower court judgment. It’s unclear what else may result from negotiations over a settlement in appellate court.

New leadership at SEC incoming

Acting chair Uyeda is expected to step down following the US Senate confirming Paul Atkins as SEC chair on April 9.

During his confirmation hearings, lawmakers questioned Atkins about his ties to crypto, which could create conflicts of interest in his role regulating the industry. In financial disclosures, Atkins stated he had millions of dollars in assets through stakes in crypto firms, including Securitize, Pontoro and Patomak.

Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered

Politics

Italy finance minister warns US stablecoins pose bigger threat than tariffs

Published

12 hours ago

April 16, 2025

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Italy finance minister warns US stablecoins pose bigger threat than tariffs

Italy’s minister of economy and finance warned that US stablecoin policies are more concerning than President Donald Trump’s tariffs, citing the potential for these crypto assets to undermine the euro’s dominance in cross-border payments.

Speaking at an event in Milan, Giancarlo Giorgetti said that while trade tariffs dominate headlines, new US policies on dollar-backed stablecoins present an “even more dangerous” threat to European financial stability, according to a Reuters report.

US stablecoins allow users to invest in a widely accepted method for cross-border payments without opening a US bank account, Giorgetti said. He warned that the growing appeal of US stablecoins to Europeans should not be underestimated.

Giorgetti urged European Union lawmakers to take more steps to boost the euro’s position as an international currency. He added that the digital euro under development by the European Central Bank (ECB) will be essential to minimize the need for Europeans to resort to foreign solutions.

US lawmakers advance stablecoin bills

Presently, stablecoin regulation in the US remains fragmented. Instead of a unified framework, multiple agencies apply existing laws to regulate stablecoins. However, lawmakers are working to implement changes, with several pieces of stablecoin legislation progressing.

On April 2, the US House Financial Services Committee passed the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy (STABLE) Act. The bill is now headed to the House floor for a full vote.

The bill was introduced on Feb. 6 by Committee Chair French Hill and the Digital Assets Subcommittee Chair Bryan Steil. It would ensure that stablecoin issuers provide information on their businesses, including how their tokens are backed.

In addition, the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act establishes rules that require issuers to maintain reserves backed one-to-one, comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws, protect consumers and boost dollar dominance in the global economy.

The GENIUS Act still requires approval by both chambers of Congress and a presidential signature before becoming law.

ECB exec renews digital euro push

Apart from Giorgetti, ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone also urged European lawmakers to intensify their efforts to combat dollar-backed stablecoin dominance in Europe. On April 8, Cipollone wrote an article expressing concerns about the growing popularity of US stablecoins.

The official suggested launching a central bank digital currency to combat this threat to the euro. He said this would aid in preserving the monetary sovereignty of the eurozone.

Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research

Politics

OKX reenters US market following $505M DOJ settlement

Published

12 hours ago

April 16, 2025

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OKX reenters US market following 5M DOJ settlement

Seychelles-based cryptocurrency exchange OKX announced that it is reentering the US market.

According to an April 16 blog post, OKX will return to the United States market along with the appointment of former Barclays director Roshan Robert as its US CEO. Robert said in the post:

“Today, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of OKX’s centralized crypto exchange and OKX Wallet in the United States, alongside the establishment of our regional headquarters in San Jose, California.“

All existing Okcoin users will be migrated to the new platform, which Robert said will lead to a better overall experience. The promised improvements include deeper liquidity, lower fees and advanced trading tools.

OKX reenters US market following $505M DOJ settlement — *Source:* *OKX*

Step by step

OKX will not roll out the upgrade in one shot. Instead, the new platform will take a phased approach to onboard new customers. The exchange plans to follow the cautious approach with a nationwide launch later in 2025.

“We’re beginning with a phased rollout for new customers to ensure a smooth and secure onboarding process, with a broader nationwide launch planned later this year,“ Robert said.

OKX also promised integrations with local banks and support for major assets, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), USDt (USDT) and USDC (USDC). Robert noted that the company maintains a global proof of reserves for all its assets, which is published monthly by cybersecurity firm Hacken.

Hacken had not responded to Cointelegraph’s request for comment by publication time.

In addition to its trading platform, the firm is also rolling out OKX Wallet to its US-based customers. The wallet supports 130 blockchains and features a decentralized exchange (DEX) aggregator, allowing access to over 10 million tokens on platforms including Ethereum, Solana and Base.

OKX gets out of US troubles

The report follows OKX hiring former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to advise it over a federal probe that resulted in the firm pleading guilty to several violations and agreeing to pay $505 million in fines and penalties.

The exchange admitted on Feb. 24 to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business in violation of US Anti-Money Laundering laws. As a consequence, OKX agreed to pay $84 million worth of penalties while forfeiting $421 million worth of fees earned from primarily institutional clients.

After the investigation concluded, OKX said it would seek out a compliance consultant to remedy the problems revealed by the federal probe and improve its compliance efforts. OKX’s CEO Star Xu wrote in a Feb. 24 X post: