Air Traffic Control Firm Will Pay Compensation for Breakdown

The UK’s leading air traffic control provider confirmed it will refund fees after technical problems disrupted air travel across Europe for several hours on December 12.

National Aviation Traffic Service (NATS), the primary air traffic control provider for UK airspace, confirmed that the company will compensate customers as a result of delays caused by technical failures at the Swanwick control center on December 12. A statement issued by NATS confirming the rebates said the amount of compensation to customers “is being calculated and will be notified to customers in due course.”

Computer problems at the Swanwick control center slowed air traffic controllers’ ability to handle flights in the UK’s busiest air corridor. Flights to and from London Heathrow Airport (LHR), Gatwick Airport (LGW) and London Stansted Airport (STN) were directly affected by the glitch. As the London airports began to backup, air traffic delays spread across the UK and Europe. According to NATS estimates, more than 500 flights were delayed and up to 120 flights were cancelled outright as a result of the disruption.

The refunds are not a gesture of goodwill by NATS. The terms of the NATS agreement to provide air traffic control services for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in the UK has a number performance clauses. The delays caused by the breakdown at the Swanwick control center triggered automatic rebates to customers affected by the system failure.

NATS originally bristled at suggestions the company ignored warnings from the CAA about the potential for widespread flight delays as a result of technical failures. NATS released a terse statement on Sunday disputing those claims, saying, “The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) did not warn NATS about ‘potential for flights turmoil’ as claimed by some reporters.”

On Monday, NATS agreed to an independent investigation of the December 12 incident. The CAA will appoint an outside chairperson to lead a board of inquiry composed of NATS officials, independent experts and a CAA representative to look into NATS handling of the situation.

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