UK air traffic control reports disruption for departing flights due to 'technical issue'

Technical issues are causing disruptions in flight departures at UK airports, Britain's air traffic control service said Wednesday.

"We are investigating a technical issue which is causing some disruption to flight departures," National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said in a statement.

It later determined that the issue was in "our flight processing system."

"Our engineers are on site and working urgently to resume normal operations as quickly as possible. We recognise the ongoing disruption to travel, for which we sincerely apologise," it wrote on US social media platform X.

It added that flights are still departing and airspace is open, but said recovery "will take some time."

In its latest update, National Air Traffic Services said it has "implemented a fix" and its flight system is "starting to recover."