Air control glitch delays flights - Poor Danny

Airline passengers suffered a day of delays and frustration as a telephone system glitch at air traffic control caused major disruption at airports across the UK and Ireland.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed as the National Air Traffic Service (Nats) said engineers were working to try to fix the problem which arose at its centre in Swanwick, Hampshire. Thousands of people were caught up in the chaos, which hit major airports including Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick. Passengers are also expected to be affected as knock-on effects hit flights on Sunday.

Many passengers expressed their anger on Twitter and spoke of "chaotic scenes" at airports, but some took the situation much lighter:

Danny O'Donoghue, lead singer with The Script and a judge on BBC talent show The Voice, wrote: "Stranded @ the airport , anyone got any suggestions on passing time ...."

Belfast International Airport and Dublin Airport reported disruption, with a number of cancellations. It said about 1,300 flights, nearly 8% of all traffic in Europe, had been "severely delayed".

More than 100 Ryanair flights to and from the south of England have been affected, with 10 cancelled so far. The airline said: "We apologise to affected passengers, however these circumstances are entirely beyond our control."

Source: NATS / Edited: DannyO'Donoghue.Net