Air traffic control problem forces Birmingham airport to temporarily SUSPEND flights causing delays for Christmas getaway passengers
- Passengers advised to check with their airline regarding departures and arrivals
- Spokesman confirmed Birmingham Airport has temporarily suspended services
- Air traffic management organisation Eurocontrol said flights affected until 10pm
- Incident comes in the same week at the Gatwick Airport drone fiasco which caused chaos for passengers
Birmingham Airport has resumed operations after it was forced to suspend flights earlier this evening due to a air traffic control system fault.
Staff said the disruption began at around 6pm and was cleared around two hours later.
The incident comes the same week as the Gatwick Airport fiasco, which saw roughly 140,000 passengers affected when a drone was apparently spotted around the runway, forcing bosses to ground flights across three days.
![Passengers have been advised to check with their airline regarding their flight at Birmingham Airport (pictured) this evening. Stock picture](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/23/19/7765282-6525261-image-a-8_1545592284445.jpg)
Passengers have been advised to check with their airline regarding their flight at Birmingham Airport (pictured) this evening. Stock picture
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A spokesman for the airport said: 'Birmingham Airport has had to temporarily suspend services due to an air traffic control fault.
'We are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
'Passengers are advised to check with their airline regarding flight departures and arrivals.
'We apologise for the inconvenience this is causing to our passengers.'
Air traffic management organisation Eurocontrol, told the BBC, flights are expected to be affected until around 10pm.
The delays at the airport means more misery for travelers desperate to get home in time for Christmas.
![Passengers prepare to disembark after flights at Birmingham Airport were temporarily halted due to an air traffic control system fault](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/23/20/7768120-6525261-image-a-6_1545598109930.jpg)
Passengers prepare to disembark after flights at Birmingham Airport were temporarily halted due to an air traffic control system fault
On Twitter, one user said: 'We are stuck in Dublin being told there is a systems failure in Birmingham is that true??'
Another added: 'What a great start to a long-planned honeymoon...not! Can anyone at least tell passengers what is going on?!'
Another social media user expressed concern about being able to get home in time for Christmas.
She said: 'A cancelled flight yesterday and now no chance of getting on our alternative option as Birmingham airport is closed due to technical difficulties . Merry Christmas @flybe'
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