Guernsey Airport activates emergency plan as 70 passengers stranded by UK air traffic control failure
- Around 70 passengers stranded at Guernsey Airport after UK air traffic control technical fault caused flight cancellations
- Emergency accommodation plan activated, with passengers housed overnight at Styx Community Centre
- Only handful of flights operated on Tuesday, with last departure leaving at 8pm
- Alternative travel arrangements made for stranded passengers by sea or air on Wednesday
- Some knock-on disruption expected on Wednesday as UK airports work to restore normal operations
Around 70 passengers were provided emergency accommodation at a community centre on Tuesday evening after a technical fault in UK air traffic control systems caused widespread flight cancellations affecting Guernsey Airport.
The airport activated its emergency accommodation plan, housing stranded travellers overnight at Styx Community Centre following the disruption that affected flights to and from the island throughout the afternoon of 8 September.
Only a handful of services managed to operate during the disruption. The last departure left Guernsey for Southampton at approximately 8pm, with the returning aircraft landing shortly after 10pm carrying the final arriving passengers of the day.
Earlier, departures to Bristol, Heathrow, Gatwick and London City were cancelled.
Alternative travel arrangements have been made for the stranded passengers to reach the UK on Wednesday, either by sea or air.
Airport Director Richard Thomasson said his teams had worked throughout the afternoon with airlines and other partners to assist affected passengers.
"We have seen huge disruption to travel across the UK today as a result of this technical fault. Although it is believed to have been fixed, we expect there may be some knock-on impact tomorrow [Wednesday 9 September] after hundreds of flights were cancelled today. However our teams will be working with the airlines to minimise the disruption as best we can, and get things back to normal as quickly as possible," he said.
Mr Thomasson thanked airport staff, VisitGuernsey, States emergency planning officers and other partners for their assistance in helping affected passengers.
Nearly 2,000 flights were cancelled across the UK on Tuesday, with a "technical glitch" blamed by Nats, the UK's national air traffic services.
The firm said that resolving it had taken longer than hoped.
Passengers booked to travel to or from Guernsey were advised to check in as normal unless contacted by their airline with alternative arrangements.
Q&A
Q: How many passengers were stranded at Guernsey Airport?
A: Around 70 passengers were stranded and required emergency accommodation following the air traffic control technical fault.
Q: Where were the stranded passengers accommodated?
A: All stranded passengers were accommodated overnight at Styx Community Centre, with alternative travel arrangements made for Wednesday.
Q: Should passengers still check in for flights on Wednesday?
A: Yes, passengers booked to travel to or from Guernsey are advised to check in as normal unless they are contacted by their airline with alternative arrangements.
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