28 August 2023 , 12:09
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Presenter Gabby Logan has been stranded in Budapest after air traffic control chaos across the UK.
Problems had been arising across the country, with flights disrupted throughout the morning on Bank Holiday Monday. Only a few planes were able to take off from the UK's busiest airport, Heathrow, whilst short-haul flights have been held.
A statement from Nats, the national airspace controllers, on Monday afternoon read: “We are currently experiencing a technical issue and have applied traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety. Engineers are working to find and the fix the fault. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
BBC presenter Logan, 50, is one of those caught up in the chaos as she attempts to fly back to the UK from the Hungarian capital after covering the World Athletics Championships. A tweet on her official X account read: "On a plane on the runway at Budapest airport.
"After almost 3 weeks away from home I am hours from hugging my family. And have just been told UK airspace is shut. We could be here for 12 hours. So we sit on the plane and wait."
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She followed that up with a couple of further posts but still found time to have a joke at her own expense. "Nb It’s allowing traffic in there’s already airborne but nothing else to take off," she wrote. "Now regretting my decision to miss breakfast."
A number of British Airways flights have been affected (Getty Images)Have you been affected by the air traffic controller chaos? Share your experience in the comments below
Disruptions to scheduled flights have also been confirmed by British Airways. A spokesperson for the airline said: “We are working closely with Nats to understand the impact of a technical issue that is affecting UK airspace, and will keep our customers up to date with the latest information.”
It remains to be seen when the problems will be resolved, with a huge amount of passengers thought to be affected. Nats, the organisation responsible for the air traffic control system, is based at Swanwick in Hampshire. Planes that are already in the air are expected to be diverted to airports in mainland Europe.
Logan has recently been over in Australia and New Zealand covering the Women's World Cup. The Lionesses reached the final of the tournament, only to succumb to defeat to Spain in the final.
Olga Carmona netted the winning goal for the Spanish during the final. Their glory has been somewhat overshadowed by the controversy surrounding disgraced president Luis Rubiales.
After kissing star Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the medal presentations, he has faced calls to resign but refused. He has subsequently been suspended by FIFA.