From In-Flight Meals to Mid-Air Chaos: Air India Flight Diverted to Zurich After Heathrow ATC Glitch

Air India flight AI 131, flying from Mumbai to London, landed in Zurich after a major technical problem disrupted air traffic control at London Heathrow. The flight carried more than 290 passengers. The disruption affected operations at Heathrow and forced airlines to change their flight plans. Air India diverted, delayed, or cancelled several flights linked to UK airports. The disruption also created delays for other services as aircraft and crew moved out of position.

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Air India Passengers Face Uncertainty in Zurich

After landing in Zurich, passengers initially stayed onboard the aircraft. The airline expected the Heathrow disruption to end soon and asked passengers to wait. However, the situation did not improve as expected. Air India later cancelled the flight and asked all passengers to leave the aircraft. The sudden change left passengers dealing with further uncertainty about their onward journey.

The technical fault at the UK air traffic control provider caused major disruption across British airports. More than 1,000 flights faced cancellations, while thousands of passengers remained stranded for hours. The National Air Traffic Services later resolved the problem in its flight processing system. However, delays continued as airports and airlines worked through the backlog. The disruption affected around 15 UK airports and also caused problems beyond Britain.

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Heathrow Suspends Arrivals Amid the Chaos

Heathrow later resumed departures but suspended arrivals for the rest of the night. The airport warned passengers that further delays could continue because of the disruption. Several travellers spent hours waiting inside aircraft before airlines cancelled their flights. On one British Airways flight, cabin crew served pasta and chicken curry during the long wait. Passengers watched movies or walked through the aircraft while waiting for updates.

The disruption continued to affect passengers even after some airport operations resumed. Travellers reported chaos at baggage claim areas and complained about limited assistance. British Airways cancelled or diverted more than 100 flights, while Ryanair reported disruption affecting over 65,000 passengers. EasyJet also said some flights could not operate because of the system failure. Airlines advised passengers to check their flight status before travelling.

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