Computer Failure Causing Flight Disruptions in Europe

Many travelers heading to or from Europe Tuesday dealt with flight disruptions after major computer failures caused delays and cancellations at airports across the continent.

According to Reuters.com, an estimated 50 percent of the flights in Europe were facing possible delays due to the failure of the Enhanced Tactical Flow Management System (ETFMS), which further complicated ongoing labor stoppages in France.

The European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) is responsible for the ETFMS and officials from the group said around half of the 29,500 flights scheduled for Tuesday could face delays or cancellations. There are 10,268 delays across the world Tuesday as of 1:30 p.m. ET, according to FlightAware.com.

The computer failure caused safety officials to place restrictions on the number of departures at airports across Europe, with Brussels Airport only allowing 10 flights an hour to depart, according to Sky News.

A Eurocontrol spokesperson said the organization has identified the cause of the computer failure, but it would take until late Tuesday evening for normal operations to resume. The agency issued an apology for the inconvenience caused to passengers.

We very much regret the inconvenience caused to passengers across Europe today however safety is our number 1 priority at all times. We are working hard to ensure the network returns to normal operations over the coming hours.

— EUROCONTROL (@eurocontrol) April 3, 2018

“The contingency plan will be maintained for the coming few hours until we are certain that sufficient data is in the system to allow it to operate completely correctly,” Eurocontrol said in a statement.

The computer failures did not impact air traffic control or standard safety procedures.