London airports have paused departures as air traffic control is suffering from a “technical issue”, causing mass delays.
Air traffic control provider Nats said it was working to correct an issue while Eurocontrol, which manages the wider European airspace, issued an alert to all airlines.
A statement released by Nats read: “As a result of a technical issue at Nats Swanwick air traffic control centre, we are limiting the number of aircraft flying in the London control area in order to ensure safety, which is always our first priority.
“We apologise for any delays this may cause.
“Our engineers are working hard to resolve the problem as quickly as possible and we are working closely with airlines to help minimise disruption.
“At this stage we cannot say how long it will be before operations are back to normal.
“Please check with your airline on the status of your flight.”
Gatwick Airport said in a statement: “A technical issue impacting Nats is affecting all outbound flights across the UK.
“There are currently no departures from London Gatwick while the situation is being resolved.
“We are working with Nats to resume flights as quickly as possible. Inbound flights are still landing at the airport.
“Passengers should check the status of their flights with their airline.”
This is a developing story.