About 80 aircraft affected at Gatwick, BBC understands
Simon Browning
Transport correspondent
The Airbus software issue could take hours to fix on the planes themselves, which an industry source suggests means some cancellations are inevitable over the weekend.
It is understood UK-based airlines are currently working on their plans, with one airline being particularly affected.
Planes will arrive in the UK this evening as usual, but it appears some will not do their next turnaround tomorrow and depart from the UK again.
I've been told airports will need to play “a logistical game of Tetris tonight to free up space” to make sure incoming aircraft can be parked overnight. Airports “will be having to park them remotely to ensure incoming long hauls have space", the industry source says.
It is unclear how many engineers will be needed at once to update software. The skies at this time of year are quieter after the peak summer period and before the Christmas festive rush begins.
It is understood about 80 aircraft are affected at Gatwick Airport.