Belgian airspace CLOSED after technical glitch

Travellers in Europe are experiencing more flight disruption after airspace above Belgium was shut down due to a technical glitch.

The country's air traffic controller said it was working to find a solution to "a problem loading flight data", which has left all air traffic temporarily suspended.

Brussels Airport – which handles some 650 flights a day – described the issue as "an exceptional situation".

Five other airports have been affected, with planes prevented from flying over Belgium since 4pm local time.

Air navigation service provider Belgocontrol said the issue is a "very specific problem" - adding that it was "no longer sure that all information of flights was correct".

Some planes have been grounded, while others have been prevented from landing.

It comes just a day after British Airways (BA) cancelled dozens of flights in and out of Heathrow Airport, with one passenger describing "complete chaos" at Heathrow Terminal 5.

Long queues were reported as other BA flights suffered delays, with hundreds of passengers told to return to the airport on Thursday only to be warned of "knock-on disruption".