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Ten Swedish airports ground, re-route planes due to technical fault

Xinhua, May 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

Several airports in Sweden on Thursday grounded their planes as a result of a communications fault which caused mass delays in air travel, local media reported.

Aircraft had to reroute and take-offs were cancelled at 10 airports from about noon until 2 p.m. local time (1000 GMT to 1200 GMT), public broadcaster Swedish Television reported.

"The fault made a mess in the system and it will take all day to catch up. Planes are now at the wrong airports," Per Froberg, spokesperson for the Swedish Air Navigation Service Provider, told the channel.

On a regular day, between 1,500 and 2,000 planes pass through Swedish airspace, with traffic peaking during mornings and afternoons, Swedish Television reported.

"It is hard to say exactly how many planes were affected by the stoppage. What the fault depends on will be examined further," Froberg said. Endit