EDINBURGH airport was brought to a standstill this morning when an IT glitch hits its air traffic control contractor.

The airport, which is Scotland’s busiest, with 15.8 million passengers passing through its gates last year, was forced to ground flights when an issue arose on Air Navigation Solutions (ANS) computers that support the safe conduct of arrivals and departures.

In a statement issued at 9.30am as backlogs began to build, an airport spokesman said the matter would be resolved “as soon as possible,” adding: “Flights at Edinburgh Airport have now resumed following the IT issue with ANS, our air traffic control provider.

“We thank passengers for their patience and understanding.”

Flights restarted at around 10.45am.

Formerly state-owned Nats, which manages most of Britain’s airspace, said it would “work closely with the airlines impacted and support as best we can” until the glitch was resolved.

ANS was contacted for comment.