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Huge network failure' hits UK air traffic control: Nation-wide system failure causes chaos for travellers - delaying hundreds of flights in and out of the country for 'at least 12 hours'

Hundreds of thousands of passengers face 'absolute chaos' today after the UK's air traffic control system broke down on one of the busiest days of the year.

NATS, the national air traffic controllers - based in Swanwick in Hampshire - said their system had failed.

Travel expert Simon Calder warned travellers now faced 'absolute chaos' - with widespread delays and cancellations.

More flights cancelled as air traffic chief reveals chaos unfolding inside control room

The UK air traffic chief has revealed the chaos that unfolded inside the control room following the discovery of a “significantly different” fault, which is still causing disruption to flights.

In an exclusive interview with The Independent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder, Martin Rolfe explained how Nats engineers raced against time to bring the air traffic control system back online after “dodgy” flight data caused a serious outage.

Mr Rolfe said the fault was first identified at 8:30am, three hours before the automatic system went offline.

“We were working on a timeline of restoring the system before 12:30pm,” he added.

What followed after was back-and-forth communication with airlines, the Department for Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority – and the realisation that “there was potential for a significant problem”.

This update comes as British Airways cancelled a further 34 domestic and European flights to and from London Heathrow as the airline recovers from Monday’s air-traffic control shutdown.

British Airways told passengers the Nats meltdown on bank holiday Monday “created significant and unavoidable delays and cancellations“ to their flight schedule.