Nats announced at 1930 GMT that the problem had been fixed, but some airports said delays could continue into Sunday. Apparently, a fault with a complicated internal telephone system which controllers at the air traffic control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire, use to swap important data about aircraft failed completely. The crash happened when tried to switch from the quieter, nighttime mode, to the busier daytime mode.
None of their computers worked and instead of 3,500 flights, they have only been able to process 2,800 or so. Ryanair was particularly miffed as it had to cancel many its flights and it could not sell so many overpriced sandwiches or charge for people carrying more than a paper napkin.
Ryanair said 300 of its flights were delayed on Saturday with 12 cancelled, this meant that countless people were not greeted by their loud annoying bugling when they landed on time – so there is some small comfort.