jones. the headlines. flight delay warnings as uk air traffic control systems are hit with technical issues. britain's national air traffic services has apologised. spain's football federation will hold an urgent meeting in response to the controversy surrounding its president, lewis ruby alice, after he kissed a player on the lips. we are returning to that developing story, britain's air traffic control system has suffered what has been described as a technical problem, technical issue. that unfortunately will mean plenty of delays if you are trying to come into or out of the country today. this is usually one of the busier days for flights. it is a bank holiday in the uk and there are plenty of people returning from their summer holiday. plenty of frustration unfortunately. let's

speak to doug maclean, retired air traffic control manager. thank you very much for being on the programme. very much for being on the programme-— very much for being on the programme. very much for being on the rouramme. ., �* m programme. you're welcome. what you think has gone — programme. you're welcome. what you think has gone wrong _ programme. you're welcome. what you think has gone wrong here? _ programme. you're welcome. what you think has gone wrong here? difficult - think has gone wrong here? difficult to sa what think has gone wrong here? difficult to say what the _ think has gone wrong here? difficult to say what the actual _ think has gone wrong here? difficult to say what the actual problem - think has gone wrong here? difficult to say what the actual problem is. l to say what the actual problem is. it's very unlikely to be hardware, software changes are normally done in the middle of the night but there may well have been a software clash. the engineers are very good at placing these things pretty quickly, in my experience. and finding the solution to what has caused the problem. operationally that is what most people are concerned about, what is happening in the air. we are now a couple of hours into this incident and everything will have slowed down. the normal process for

the management, operational managers, will be to almost slam on the brakes to stop departures from various airports, to stop traffic coming into the system, and then the controllers and staff will deal with the traffic that is in the air and get it to its destination safely, and then they will build up a steady flow from that point on. i and then they will build up a steady flow from that point on.— flow from that point on. i hope to build u- flow from that point on. i hope to build up that _ flow from that point on. i hope to build up that steady _ flow from that point on. i hope to build up that steady flow - flow from that point on. i hope to build up that steady flow as - flow from that point on. i hope to l build up that steady flow as quickly as possible, but how long can you see delays going on for here? it really depends. whatever the flow rates are that they are operating at, we have an integrated system in europe which is plugged in worldwide. every aeroplane that is planned to come into the uk for the rest of today will now have received a slot time for entry into the uk,

whichever part of the uk air space it is coming into, whether it is across the atlantic, over the uk, or departing manchester to palma or whatever. the forecast will look pretty dramatic at the moment, with many long delays, and it depends on when the system can get up and running again. there will be cancellations, and planned cancellations, and planned cancellations, probably, for the rest of the afternoon.— cancellations, probably, for the rest of the afternoon. thank you very much _ rest of the afternoon. thank you very much for— rest of the afternoon. thank you very much for coming _ rest of the afternoon. thank you very much for coming on - rest of the afternoon. thank you very much for coming on the - very much for coming on the programme and lending is your expertise in the area. let's speak now to paul charles, ceo of the travel consultancy, and a former communications director at virgin atlantic. i'm told you have a view of something that we are told could help us. i of something that we are told could hel us. ., of something that we are told could hel us. . ., of something that we are told could hel us. . . ,

help us. i am here at kew gardens in west london — help us. i am here at kew gardens in west london and _ help us. i am here at kew gardens in west london and it _ help us. i am here at kew gardens in west london and it is _ help us. i am here at kew gardens in west london and it is directly - help us. i am here at kew gardens in west london and it is directly under i west london and it is directly under the flight path into heathrow airport. typically flights are coming over here every a0 seconds to a minute intervals on normal days. they are still coming in, and you will hear another one coming in a minute. they are definitely still flying in, but they are effectively manually being brought into heathrow airport, in light of this it problem. they are coming in roughly every 50 seconds or so, which is not too bad. controllers are still bringing in the aircraft. here comes another now overhead. pretty well on schedule, but of course this is at a time when the it problem has only just occurred, and many of these flights are already in uk airspace. they may have been circling overhead for the last 30 minutes or so, in some cases, but it is the flights that i get to depart from destinations abroad that i going to be most the affected. what destinations abroad that i going to be most the affected.— destinations abroad that i going to be most the affected. what about the timin: of all

be most the affected. what about the timing of all this, _ be most the affected. what about the timing of all this, and _ be most the affected. what about the timing of all this, and implications . timing of all this, and implications for the wider industry? this comes about three _ for the wider industry? this comes about three months _ for the wider industry? this comes about three months after - for the wider industry? this comes about three months after the - for the wider industry? this comes about three months after the last. about three months after the last major it error affecting uk airports, which involved border gates, the eastgate system, which went down for several hours. this is yet another sign of the rather creaky uk infrastructure that is in place. whether it is e—gates on the ground, or systems affecting flights, the system is being affected to the limit. 3000 are due to come into the uk and it is pretty well back to where things were pre—pandemic, in 2019. the it systems still don't seem to be able to cope with this level, this volume of flights that we are seeing. what of flights that we are seeing. what are ou of flights that we are seeing. what are you suggesting? _ of flights that we are seeing. what are you suggesting? what is the solution? fewerflights or are you suggesting? what is the solution? fewer flights or upgrade the tech? ., , , .,

the tech? undoubtedly the solution is to upgrade _ the tech? undoubtedly the solution is to upgrade the _ the tech? undoubtedly the solution is to upgrade the technology. - the tech? undoubtedly the solution is to upgrade the technology. this i is to upgrade the technology. this is to upgrade the technology. this is increasingly complex technology which is finding it difficult to cope... the technology has to be improved, but often to improve it you have to take it down overnight, or upgrade it at times when it it is less to busy. because of the volume of flights we have been seeing the summer, it has been very difficult for engineers to update the software during the busy summer period. either they are going to have to do it in the next few weeks and months, and improve the system that way, or spend a lot more money building up the infrastructure. they don't have this problem abroad as much as we do. ., this problem abroad as much as we do. . . , ., ~ this problem abroad as much as we do. . ., , ., ~ , do. paul charles, thank you very much for that. _ do. paul charles, thank you very much for that. keep _ do. paul charles, thank you very much for that. keep an - do. paul charles, thank you very much for that. keep an eye - do. paul charles, thank you very much for that. keep an eye on i do. paul charles, thank you very - much for that. keep an eye on those flights for us down there in south—west london.

during what is with me. some people have said their— during what is with me. some people have said their flights _ during what is with me. some people have said their flights are _ during what is with me. some people have said their flights are delayed - have said their flights are delayed by another five hours. have said their flights are delayed by anotherfive hours. it have said their flights are delayed by another five hours. it is worth pointing out that there is still a lot we don't know about this. i spoke to nats and this treatment was very brief. it was just that there are technical issues. we haven't got an indication of how long this can go for. i thought it was interesting that the last gentleman there was saying that they are coming over every 50 seconds. when i have been looking at the flight radar data, that our colleague, nicky schiller, has been standing in front of. it is interesting that the planes are still coming in, this isn't... the initial reports we had were of a closure of airspace. it doesn't seem to be the case. it does seem to be that things are at a reduced capacity, still operating. this is clearly good — capacity, still operating. this is clearly good news _ capacity, still operating. this is clearly good news for _ capacity, still operating. this is clearly good news for people i capacity, still operating. this is clearly good news for people in j capacity, still operating. this is - clearly good news for people in the air. those long haulflights have beenin air. those long haulflights have been in the air for hours and they may have been in stacks of the

airports. now they are slowly coming into land, not too much disruption for them. into land, not too much disruption forthem. if into land, not too much disruption for them. if the overall system means you need fewer planes in the air, if you are at the airport taking off, that is where the delays could be. , ., taking off, that is where the delays could be. , . , taking off, that is where the delays could be. , ., , ., ., could be. yes, and it is one of those things. _ could be. yes, and it is one of those things, to _ could be. yes, and it is one of those things, to use _ could be. yes, and it is one of those things, to use an - could be. yes, and it is one of i those things, to use an analogy, could be. yes, and it is one of - those things, to use an analogy, we saw it with a disruption to logistics services. things are very efficiently run when they run properly. you only need a small delay and something to create a big backlog. that would be the concern, the concern that, over time, as delays lace build—up, it has a knock—on effect that gets bigger and bigger. we don't know how this is going to play out. the air traffic service say they are working to resolve this. maybe they resolve it, maybe they don't, but for now people can expect some significant delays certainly over the next few hours. that is the problem, just reiterating the numbers that cased yachts didn't got for us not long ago. yachts didn't got for us not long

auo. 9:11:11 yachts didn't got for us not long auo. ,~,:: :: z: , yachts didn't got for us not long auo. 9:11:11 , ., yachts didn't got for us not long ao. 9:11:11 , ., ago. 3000 flights due to depart, 3000 due to _ ago. 3000 flights due to depart, 3000 due to a _ ago. 3000 flights due to depart, 3000 due to a depart. _ ago. 3000 flights due to depart, 3000 due to a depart. 6000 - ago. 3000 flights due to depart, 3000 due to a depart. 6000 in | ago. 3000 flights due to depart, - 3000 due to a depart. 6000 in total, and we don't know... we 3000 due to a depart. 6000 in total, and we don't know. . .— and we don't know... we don't know. it is always — and we don't know... we don't know. it is always worth _ and we don't know... we don't know. it is always worth pointing _ and we don't know... we don't know. it is always worth pointing out - and we don't know... we don't know. it is always worth pointing out that i it is always worth pointing out that we don't know a lot of stuff in a situation like this. it is rapidly evolving. we do know that this is one of the busiest days of the air. it is a bank holiday in the summer holiday. the number of people that you see tweeting about their situation, colleagues of ours, gabby logan, she stuck on the tarmac as well. there are a lot of people trying to get around, either in the country are at the country at this time. they all are going to be affected by this.— time. they all are going to be affected by this. really frustrating for so many- _ affected by this. really frustrating for so many. you _ affected by this. really frustrating for so many. you talked _ affected by this. really frustrating for so many. you talked about - affected by this. really frustrating for so many. you talked about the closed airspace not being the case. that came from clarification, or confirmed it is experiencing technical issues and then said airspace is not closed. what we didn't get in those statements, to

your point, is any idea of what the technical issue is, and any timetable. that is what people want who are impacted by this, they want to timetable. i who are impacted by this, they want to timetable-— to timetable. i have been trying to seak to timetable. i have been trying to s - eak to to timetable. i have been trying to speak to nats- — to timetable. i have been trying to speak to nats. the _ to timetable. i have been trying to speak to nats. the first _ to timetable. i have been trying to | speak to nats. the first statement they gave us was very limited. it just had that clarification that there was a technical problem, someone saying they are trying to fix it, and an apology for the difficulties. what we don't know is how long it is going to last. i'm trying to get the information but the truth is, they might not know. thank you, joe inwood there. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. breaking news at the bbc is the disruption, significant delays, and cancellations of flights in and out of the uk today because of technical issues with the air traffic control digital system. they

say this isn't going to impact safety issues, but it will impact the flow rate. the flow rate basically means the number of planes that are able to land, the number of planes that are able to take off at any given time. normally, with the digital system up and running, it is a very rapid, efficient system. with the digital system down, they can still get planes into and out of airports, but the whole process is a lot slower. that leads therefore to delays and also potentially, therefore, cancellations. this is bbc news. you are live with bbc news. i am bbc news. you are live with bbc news. iam lewis bbc news. you are live with bbc news. i am lewis vaughanjones. bbc news. you are live with bbc news. iam lewis vaughanjones. some bad news for passengers and travellers in the uk and indeed around the world right now, with technical problems impacting air

traffic control systems. it means a lot of people are stuck. mitchell hampton is stuck right now in paris charles de gaulle airport. thank you for the way. how are you getting on? still the same unfortunately. i got here at around 10am. got through ok, and then five or ten minutes before we were about to get on the plane, fortunately, considering some people are stuck on planes, theyjust said that there is no airspace in the uk, the air is broken. something to do with the radar, and it is looking around about a seven hour delay for us. it says on the screens that we should have boarded up too, but it has changed again and our reception are saying it is looking at about ten past seven. i don't think anyone really knows at the moment. we have got our hand luggage but we are quite fortunate. there is only one

uk flight to the shops are pretty stocked up for the moment. you seem in reasonably — stocked up for the moment. you seem in reasonably good _ stocked up for the moment. you seem in reasonably good spirits. _ stocked up for the moment. you seem in reasonably good spirits. have - stocked up for the moment. you seem in reasonably good spirits. have you i in reasonably good spirits. have you had any kind of information about the timings slipping and understandably, flutie flexible at this point in time. have you had any communication about whether you will actually get out of there today? h0. actually get out of there today? no. the onl actually get out of there today? firm the only communication we have actually get out of there today? fin the only communication we have had is that it is looking at about 710. they said the problem still not been fixed and that is all the information they have. it was just one announcement about two hours ago. i one announcement about two hours auo. , ., one announcement about two hours aao_ , ., ., one announcement about two hours auo. , ., ., ., ., ago. i see. you mention the food there, because _ ago. i see. you mention the food there, because that _ ago. i see. you mention the food there, because that is _ ago. i see. you mention the food there, because that is small - ago. i see. you mention the food i there, because that is small issue. we have seen some pictures on social media of empty shells with people clearly stocking up. they don't know when they are getting out so they had better stock up on sandwiches or whatever they can. do you have a plan b? is there some where you can go if there is nothing happening

today? go if there is nothing happening toda ? ., , , ., ., . ., today? honestly, i have no clue at the moment- _ today? honestly, i have no clue at the moment. we _ today? honestly, i have no clue at the moment. we have _ today? honestly, i have no clue at the moment. we have been - today? honestly, i have no clue at l the moment. we have been through security so i'm not sure what the rules are about leaving the airport now. to be honest this terminal is quite handy. there are a lot of benches, a lot of sofas, so if we have to do sleep through the night i am sure we will manage. there are a lot of children here so i am sure they will update as soon. i think they will update as soon. i think the four—hour mark is probably where they start giving you a bit more comfort and vouchers, so the website says. comfort and vouchers, so the website sa s. g , , ., , ., comfort and vouchers, so the website sas. , , ., ., says. just before i let you go, you said there — says. just before i let you go, you said there are _ says. just before i let you go, you said there are children _ says. just before i let you go, you said there are children around. i says. just before i let you go, you i said there are children around. have you managed to speak to any other passengers, any other stories of what they are doing? hat passengers, any other stories of what they are doing?— passengers, any other stories of what they are doing? not quite yet. there are not _ what they are doing? not quite yet. there are not many _ what they are doing? not quite yet. there are not many frustrations - what they are doing? not quite yet. there are not many frustrations at i there are not many frustrations at the moment, just because it has only been a couple of hours. as it gets more and more into the evening i think there will be some

frustrations and we will soon see. i will definitely speak to people on the flight to see what their plans are. ., ~' the flight to see what their plans are. . ~ , ., the flight to see what their plans are. ., ~ , ., y the flight to see what their plans are. . ~ , . the flight to see what their plans are. ., ~' y . ., are. thank you very much for speaking _ are. thank you very much for speaking to _ are. thank you very much for speaking to us, _ are. thank you very much for speaking to us, we _ are. thank you very much for| speaking to us, we appreciate are. thank you very much for - speaking to us, we appreciate your time. good luck, we hope you get on a plane soon. we are going to try to speak now to michelle robson. she is currently stuck on the tarmac at jersey airport, trying to get back to london. can you hear as? yes jersey airport, trying to get back to london. can you hear as? �*i�*esi jersey airport, trying to get back to london. can you hear as? yes i am here, sat to london. can you hear as? yes i am here. sat on — to london. can you hear as? yes i am here. sat on the _ to london. can you hear as? yes i am here, sat on the tarmac _ to london. can you hear as? yes i am here, sat on the tarmac at _ to london. can you hear as? yes i am here, sat on the tarmac at jersey - here, sat on the tarmac atjersey airport. here, sat on the tarmac at jersey airort. ., ,., ., here, sat on the tarmac at jersey airort. ., , ., ,, airport. you poor thing, i assume ou don't airport. you poor thing, i assume you don't want — airport. you poor thing, i assume you don't want to _ airport. you poor thing, i assume you don't want to be _ airport. you poor thing, i assume you don't want to be doing - airport. you poor thing, i assume you don't want to be doing that. i you don't want to be doing that. what have you been told? irate you don't want to be doing that. what have you been told? we are currently about _ what have you been told? we are currently about an _ what have you been told? we are currently about an hour— what have you been told? we are currently about an hour later - what have you been told? we are currently about an hour later than when we should have taken off. we had a bit of a nightmare. we had to evacuate the terminal and stand outside due to a fire alarm. we are now all on board and the pilot has said that they have told air traffic control that we are ready but at the moment we don't have any slot. we arejust hoping that moment we don't have any slot. we are just hoping that we can get a

slot. otherflights