Edinburgh Airport Flights Grounded by IT Issue; Delta, KLM, BA Diverted
Edinburgh Airport Ground Stop: Major IT Failure Forces Diversions Across European Network
Edinburgh Airport experienced a significant operational disruption on December 5, 2025, when an IT system failure at its air traffic control provider, Air Navigation Solutions, forced the suspension of all inbound and outbound flights. The incident, which occurred shortly before 09:30 local time, demonstrates the critical dependency of modern aviation on digital infrastructure and the far-reaching consequences when such systems fail.
At 09:30, Edinburgh Airport issued an emergency advisory via social media, stating: “Due to an IT issue with our air traffic control provider, no flights are currently operating from Edinburgh Airport. Teams are working on the issue and will resolve as soon as possible.” The airport directed passengers to contact their respective airlines for real-time flight information during the emergency period.
The ground stop triggered a cascade of diversions affecting multiple major carriers. A Delta Air Lines flight from New York’s JFK airport, scheduled to land at 09:45, was rerouted to Dublin Airport. Additional flights operated by British Airways, Ryanair, KLM, Turkish Airlines, and easyJet were redirected to Glasgow Airport and Manchester Airport. According to flight tracking data from Flightradar24, the last aircraft to successfully land at Edinburgh prior to the shutdown was a Loganair flight at approximately 08:40.
The airport authority worked rapidly to restore systems, and by 10:40 local time, approximately one hour after the initial disruption, Edinburgh Airport announced that normal flight operations had resumed. A United Airlines flight was among the first aircraft to land following the restoration of air traffic control capabilities.
The incident underscores significant industry challenges. Affected airlines now face considerable operational pressure to reposition diverted aircraft and accommodate passengers on alternative services to their intended destinations. This recovery effort will likely extend disruptions for travelers throughout the day and potentially into subsequent operations.
This event highlights the critical importance of redundant systems and backup protocols in aviation infrastructure. As air traffic increasingly depends on integrated digital systems, the vulnerability of single points of failure in air navigation services has become a pressing concern for airport operators and regulatory authorities across Europe.
Source ID: SRCE-2025-1764936046446-1177