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Flights disrupted by glitch at air traffic control centre
BRITAIN'S main air traffic control centre was hit by a computer glitch yesterday that saw scores of flights cancelled and delayed.
The problem started just before 4pm when a fault occurred in one of the systems at Swanwick Air Traffic Control Centre in Hampshire.
This led air traffic control company NATS to restrict the number of planes entering UK airspace as well as those taking off from major UK airports, causing serious disruption.
But a NATS spokesman said the problem was resolved and the centre was "full steam ahead" at 7pm.
All three airports in Yorkshire reported delays as a result of the Swanwick problems.
At Robin Hood airport in South Yorkshire, passengers heading for Mediterranean destinations were delayed by between 30 minutes and two hours.
A spokesman said: "It is not affecting us as much as other airports. There have been four flights affected and they are all for destinations that need to fly over southern England airspace.
"There is no problem with flights landing – just those departing."
Humberside Airport only saw two arrivals and one departure yesterday evening, and all three were hit by delays.
A flight to Amsterdam mid-evening was delayed by one-and-a-half hours, as was one inbound. A second flight from Amsterdam, due to arrive at 9.10pm, was subject to an hour's delay.
At Leeds Bradford airport, two flights from Southampton – due at 8.20pm and 8.25pm respectively – were both cancelled. Flights to Southampton – at 5.40pm and 8.45pm – were also cancelled while a flight to Bristol at 7.10pm was delayed indefinitely.
The worst affected flight was one arriving from Palma, due in at 10.45pm but arriving at 2.15am, while many other flights suffered delays of more than an hour.
The 5.45pm to Brussels departed more than two hours late, while the 6pm to Amsterdam left 96 minutes late.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
