Air traffic control problems temporarily shutter Gatwick Airport

July 10 (UPI) -- London's Gatwick Airport suspended all flights for about 2 hours Wednesday after having problems with its air traffic control systems, and though flights resumed, airport officials expected further delays and cancellations in the evening.

The unspecified issues began around 5 p.m., prompting airport officials to cancel 28 flights and divert another 26 to other airports.

Gatwick announced the resumption of flights at 7:10 p.m.

"Flights have resumed at Gatwick following an earlier issue with the systems operated by [Air Navigation Systems] in our air traffic control tower. As we move back into full operations, we are likely to see some delays and further cancellations this evening," the airport said.

"We apologize to passengers who have been affected and are aiming to operate a full schedule of flights tomorrow. We continue to advise all passengers traveling tonight or tomorrow to check the status of their flight with their airline before traveling to the airport."

The Guardian reported that the cancellations and delays affected flights in other European cities, including Gothenburg, Sweden; Bilbao, Spain; and Bergen, Norway.