Software Glitch Disrupts Air Traffic Control in New Zealand

A software glitch caused significant disruption to air traffic control services in New Zealand over the weekend, affecting multiple flights. On Saturday afternoon, five aircraft circled above Wellington while four others were unable to take off due to the technical fault. According to Airways, the country’s sole air traffic service provider, the issue stemmed from a failure in transferring flight data between systems.

Airways’ chief executive, James Young, explained during an interview on Morning Report that the fault persisted for approximately one hour. “It affected air traffic control services between Australia and New Zealand,” Young stated. He elaborated that the transfer error prevented flight data from processing correctly, forcing air traffic controllers to implement measures to manage aircraft traffic, either by holding planes on the ground or in the air.

Despite the disruption, Young assured that air traffic controllers maintained communication and visual contact with all aircraft involved. “At no point did we lose control of all aircraft. We were able to communicate with all aircraft and we had line of sight of all aircraft,” he affirmed. Flights within New Zealand airspace were held, with two eventually allowed to continue their journeys and three returning to their original locations. Notably, aircraft operating in Oceanic airspace were able to proceed to their destinations without interruption.

Young highlighted that the outage impeded the ability to process changes to flight paths during the incident. He characterized the fault as rare and emphasized there was no evidence linking it to a cyber attack. “We do need to understand exactly what did occur. There’s no evidence at all that suggests a cyber event or a cyber attack,” he said.

As part of the response, Young indicated that an investigation will be conducted to determine the root cause of the technical issue. This investigation is expected to include a simulation of the incident to better understand the failure. Young also noted that Airways has made significant investments in its systems in recent years and has secured funding for the next three-year period to enhance operational resilience.

In conclusion, while the software glitch caused notable disruptions in air traffic control, the swift actions of Airways ensured that safety protocols were upheld and communication maintained throughout the incident. The focus will now turn to understanding the underlying causes and preventing future occurrences.