Edinburgh flights resume after IT issue grounded planes

Flights to and from Edinburgh Airport were grounded for several hours on Sunday due to an IT issue.

Just before 16:00 GMT, an airport spokesperson said engineers were working to fix an issue that had affected air traffic control.

Both incoming and outbound flights were significantly delayed, with some cancelled entirely.

In an update, the airport said the issue was resolved and flights had resumed at about 19:00, but passengers were still advised to check the status of flights with their airline before travelling to the airport.

While engineers attempted to fix the problem, a number of flights were cancelled or diverted for several hours, including the following flights that have since landed at Glasgow Airport:

• Loganair flight LM316 from Exeter

• Easyjet flight EZY601 from Luton

• Ryanair flight FR6643 from Bratislava

• British Airways flight BA1462 from London

• Easyjet flight EZY3264 from Munich

• Ryanair flight RK860 from Agadir

• Ryanair flight FR2885 from Kaunas

A 15:30 Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul and a 16:05 Ryanair flight from Gran Canaria were diverted to Manchester Airport.

In a statement posted to X on Sunday evening, Edinburgh Airport said: "The IT issue affecting Air Traffic Control has now been resolved and flights have now resumed.

"We would like to thank passengers for their patience and understanding."

Air Navigation Solutions, the air traffic control provider at Edinburgh Airport, also confirmed to the BBC that problems occured due to "a technical issue".

"Our engineers have restored the system to operation and flight operations re-commenced at 18:25. We regret the inconvenience that has been caused," it said.

Andrea Racekova, an apprentice journalist for BBC News, was among those affected by the cancellations.

The 26-year-old travelled from Shetland to Edinburgh in order to catch a flight to her home in Slovakia for an important blood test she has been waiting months to receive.

Andrea has heard of indefinite delays for some flights

Reporting from the airport, she said: "I found out about the whole issue through Ryanair staff at the gate after we'd been asked to queue up for boarding.

"We were asked to sit down as the flight wouldn't leave for at least another 30 minutes."

Andrea waited for news, but her flight was cancelled altogether.

She said: "People around me are very frustrated, some of them have connecting flights to catch, so the general mood here is very tense.

"The airport staff have been trying to calm everyone down. They've been very helpful, but I understand some passengers are very upset."