An independent review has been launched into the air traffic control issues that contributed to travel chaos over the August bank holiday.
On 28 August the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) was affected by temporary technical issues which severely hampered air traffic control services.
As many as 80 per cent of flights leaving the UK on 28 August were delayed and many were cancelled, at the same time as wildfires and industrial action on the continent, leaving many Britons stranded.
The Civil Aviation Authority has appointed industry veteran Jeff Halliwell to spearhead the independent review, which will ‘consider the causes, response, how the incident was managed and lessons for the future’.
On 28 August, National Air Traffic Services (NATS) saw many flights either delayed or cancelled due to a temporary issue which affected air traffic control services
Mr Halliwell previously help roles at Airport Coordination and the Heathrow Consumer Challenge Board, and recently completed his term as chair of Transport Focus.
The areas the probe will cover include the costs to airlines of ‘providing care, assistance and re-routing to consumers’ as well as ‘immediate causes of the incident and preventing repeat occurrences’.
It will also look at how the incident was communicated, the resources available to respond at the time, and ‘broader considerations around investment and infrastructure of NATS’.
A final report will be provided to the CAA and the Secretary of State for Transport before publication.
Mr Halliwell said: ‘This event had a significant impact on many passengers, businesses and the aviation industry and it is clear lessons need to be learnt.
‘I am looking forward to working with industry and passengers to tackle this review to really understand how the incident occurred, how it was managed and identify any recommendations.’
Mr Halliwell will be supported by two other panel members, who CAA bosses said ‘bring a range of expertise to help determine and consider any recommendations to benefit both consumers and the wider aviation industry’.
Yesterday, the British airline industry was on red alert after a London supplier was accused of selling jet engine parts with fraudulent safety certificates, leading the regulator to investigate.
AOG Technics Ltd, based in London, is being investigated by regulators over claims it supplied fake parts for jet engines powering many older-generation Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 planes.
The CAA confirmed some parts sourced from AOG Technics are on engines fitted to UK aircraft. The agency has issued a safety notice to all UK organisations warning them to investigate their records thoroughly to check the source of aircraft parts.
Rob Bishton, joint-interim chief executive at the CAA said: ‘The events of the 28 August bank holiday had a significant impact on many passengers.
‘That’s why we’ve launched this independent review to understand what happened and learn lessons for the future.’
DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS
Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence.
