An air traffic control problem has hit hundreds of flights using northern European airspace.
Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were among the countries affected.
The problem was centred on the Eurocontrol radar system, based at Maastricht in the Netherlands.
Eurocontrol later confirmed the system had returned to normal capacity, but said the backlog of flights would mean delays continuing into the evening.
Eurocontrol said "equipment problems" affected its air navigation services for flights in airspace above 7,500m (24,600 ft).
About 700 flights have been affected, said Europe's air traffic control system.
The UK reported some delays to flights into and out of the country, but said no major problems had been experienced.

Spain's air traffic controllers say they have reached an agreement with aviation authorities that will likely avert a threatened strike.
Maite Merino, spokeswoman for controllers' union USCA, says if the accord is accepted by members next week as expected, the union will rescind a strike call approved Aug. 3.
Details of the agreement with aviation agency AENA were not immediately available.
The dispute centres on a decree that increased controllers' work hours and shortened rest breaks during shifts. But it started last February when the government restricted overtime and thus cut pay that was as high as €350,000 a year.

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Ryanair has called on the Spanish government to intervene with military help if the country’s air traffic control workers go on strike. Spanish air traffic controllers are threatening a strike in mid August which could affect hundreds of thousands of UK passengers.
If it goes ahead, the strike is expected to start on August 18 and last for three days, although the date and duration have not yet been confirmed. More than 2,000 controllers have voted to strike in protest at government plans to change their working hours and reduce overtime pay.

The Spanish government has said in the event of a strike it will seek to maintain ‘minimum services’. Ryanair says the threatened strike and recent action by French ATC workers highlight the need for a standardised Europe-wide air traffic control.

Spains Transport Minister, Mr. Jose Blanco, announced that his government will employ military air traffic controllers to guarantee the continuation of civil aviation traffic. This is a dangerous, but not altogether surprising, development.

In February, IFATCA questioned the necessity and expected outcome of Spains Royal Decree. IFATCA pointed out that the Decree punishes air traffic controllers for the past economic mismanagement of the ATM system.

IFATCA also noted that forcing any specialist in a safety critical field to work in a climate of fear and intimidation is detrimental to the safety of the system. Any recourse to military controllers will simply add another group of specialists to an untenable situation. This will compromise safety and further exacerbate the obviously deep seated problems in the system.

Name-calling, threats and overt sexism are rife inside the "hostile" air traffic control towers at Melbourne Airport, a lawsuit alleges.

It claims male air traffic managers have for the past five years emailed or viewed pornography at work, while their female co-workers were constantly bullied and denied training when they became pregnant.

The alleged incidents have sparked a $2 million lawsuit filed on Wednesday by two female employees who say they have had enough of a male-dominated workplace that humiliates and embarrasses women.

"I'm older now, I'm stronger and it's time to say this is not OK any more," said Jacki Macdonald, a mother of three boys who has worked at Melbourne Airport for 18 years.

"I want them to respect women. I think I've earned the right to be respected in my career."

The crash of Air Traffic Control (ATC) system-Autotrack III-in Delhi earlier this week bodes bad news for Mumbai airport as well.

The system, an upgraded version of Autotrack II which is currently in use, was to be installed at Mumbai airport by August after it had stabilised in Delhi. However, as Delhi has now gone back to the old system, the chances of it being used in Mumbai are slim.

Autotrack III crashed at Delhi airport on July 28 disrupting flight operations for 30 minutes. Officials at Mumbai were also being trained to use the system once it was consolidated in Delhi. "Now, the fate of the system hangs in balance. Everyone was working towards installing it. However, it seems like a far cry after the failure in Delhi,'' an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said.

The aircraft carrying British Prime Minister David Cameron on his maiden visit to India was caught in a mid-air drama as the computer software installed at IGI airport’s new terminal froze for 30 minutes, promoting a disaster scenario.

The glitch allegedly left all pilots “blind” as aircraft jet was about to land in the Indian capital, The Sun reported on Monday. It said that the new computer software was being installed to prevent mid air collisions.

The special Boeing 747 was also carrying Foreign Secretary William Hague, Chancellor George Osborne, business leaders and sports stars on a two-day jobs mission to India.

Incoming and outgoing flights were disrupted between for 30 minutes as the Autotrac-III system crashed, resulting in the air traffic control (ATC) screens going blank.

Airport officials had to switch over to an emergency back-up system to guide his VIP-packed jet, the report said.