All the London Heathrow and Gatwick flights cancelled amid US air traffic shutdown chaos

Detailed summary

More than 30 flights between London and the US cancelled as disruption expected to last for days

Scores of London flights are disrupted today after an extraordinary air traffic shutdown across the US sparked travel chaos.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all flights nationwide for about four hours on Friday “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety” following communications problems at regional air traffic control centres.

About 10,000 flights to and from the US have been cancelled, according to Flightradar24, following the longest US air traffic shutdown since the 9/11 attacks.

US transportation secretary Sean Duffy announced shortly after 1.30am GMT that the airspace had reopened, but said disruption would continue for a number of days.

The extraordinary ground start began to impact London flights on Friday night, British Airways cancelling a flight to New York which had been due to take off from Heathrow at 10.30pm on Friday.

At 6.45am on Saturday, Heathrow’s website was showing 29 cancelled flights to and from the US with delays to 19 departures.

At Gatwick, three flights scheduled to arrive from Orlando in Florida at 7.30am were cancelled.

All the Heathrow flights cancelled due to US air traffic shutdown (as of 6.45am)

Responding to customers on X, British Airways apologised for possible delays and cancellations.

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