"Unprecedented UK Air Traffic Meltdown Blamed on Duplicate Flight Plan Glitch"

The air traffic meltdown in the UK, which resulted in the cancellation of 1,500 flights and stranded thousands of passengers, was caused by a rare "one in 15 million" event, according to the CEO of traffic control provider NATS. A preliminary report revealed that a single flight plan with two identically named markers outside UK airspace caused the system to enter a fail-safe mode. Airlines are now calling for compensation and repairs to the control system, while the civil aviation regulator will review the incident. The episode could cost airlines up to £100 million ($126 million) in expenses claimed by affected passengers.