Air Traffic Control Failure Was Caused by Flight Data, Not Cyberattack: Officials

A passenger sits on luggage at Stansted Airport, north of London, after UK flights were delayed over a technical issue, on Aug. 29, 2023. Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images

The UK air traffic control failure was caused by flight data received by National Air Traffic Services (NATS), with no indication of a cyberattack, said NATS CEO Martin Rolfe.

Both primary and back-up systems responded by suspending automatic processing to ensure air traffic controllers don’t get incorrect information, Mr. Rolfe said in a statement.