Many passengers across Europe can expect delays and cancellations for the remaining of the day as a result of a system failure at the Eurocontrol centre in Brussels.

Eurocontrol, which coordinates air traffic for 41 member states sent out a tweet: “There has been a failure of the Enhanced Tactical Flow Management System [ETFMS].

“Contingency procedures are being put in place which will have the effect of reducing the capacity of the European network by approximately 10 percent.

The average daily traffic in April in Eurocontrol’s 41 member states is around 30,000 flights, which potentially means that 3,000 flights — and up to half a million passengers — could face disruption.

The system is designed to match demand from airlines with capacity in the crowded skies above Europe. When airlines file flight plans, ETFMS calculates a pathway according to data on available airspace and allocates slots accordingly. The relevant national air-traffic providers are notified, reducing the complexity of communication.

Eurocontrol later said it had identified the problem and expected to resolve it “late (Tuesday) evening”. Brussels airport said departures were limited to 10 flights an hour.

All flight plans filed before 11.26am, British time, have been lost by the system, and airlines have been asked to re-file them.

Departure slots will be rationed, which is likely to mean delays on the ground building rapidly. If gates are blocked, arriving aircraft will have to wait for planes to leave.

Source: Independent