Transport Committee questions airlines, NATS and the CAA on August’s air traffic control disruption
The Transport Committee holdd a one-off evidence session regarding the air traffic control disruption that occurred at the end of August 2023. The session aims to investigate how customers and airlines were affected, and how effectively airlines supported their customers.
On 28 August, NATS software was unable to extract the UK portion of a flight plan and suspended automatic flight processing for six hours – causing delays and cancellations for over 250,000 customers across the bank holiday. NATS staff shortages at London Gatwick airport also caused disruption over the summer period, including hundreds of cancellations in September.
Meeting details
In the first panel the Committee hears from Simon Calder, travel journalist and broadcaster, with questions likely to focus on airline customers' rights and experiences during the disruption, as well as the role of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The second panel features representatives of Airlines UK, easyJet and Ryanair. MPs may ask questions about the cost of the disruption to airlines, their responsibilities to customers, and the support they received from the Government and NATS during the disruption. Contingency planning and operational resilience may also be discussed.
Representatives from NATS, the sole provider of en route air traffic services in the UK, will then appear before the Committee. Questions could be asked about their interim report on causes of the disruption, their communication with airlines and airports and the current technology in use by NATS.
In the final witness panel, MPs will hear from the CAA. It is likely the Committee will ask about the recently announced review into the NATs technical issue, guidance issued for airlines, and longstanding calls for the CAA’s enforcement powers to be strengthened.