Air passengers have been warned they face delays after UK air traffic control systems were hit by a technical fault.

The National Air Traffic Services (NATS), the country’s leading provider of air traffic control services, said it has applied traffic flow restrictions on Monday to maintain safety following a technical issue.

It is understood passengers boarding flights both to and from the UK have been told of the fault.

Darlington and Stockton Times: Plane.

Newcastle Airport confirmed online this afternoon that it has been affected by the fault, as it urged customers to check the status of their flight online.

A Newcastle International Airport spokesperson said: "Due to an ongoing issue with National Air Traffic Services, we are experiencing disruption to flights, including some cancellations.

"Passengers should contact their airline to check the status of their flight. Latest flight information is available on our website or App, but is subject to change. We apologise for any inconvenience."

In a statement, NATS said: “We are currently experiencing a technical issue and have applied traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety.

“Engineers are working to find and fix the fault. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Meanwhile, airline Loganair warned customers they may experience delays as a “network-wide failure” has affected air-traffic control systems on Monday morning.

British Airways said in a statement: “We are working closely with NATS to understand the impact of a technical issue that is affecting UK airspace and will keep our customers up to date with the latest information.”