Flights to and from Cyprus were affected on Tuesday as a technical failure in the UK air traffic control system caused widespread cancellations and delays at airports across Britain.

Three flights from London to Larnaca and three departures from Larnaca to London were cancelled, including one scheduled for Wednesday morning, according to information on the Hermes Airports flight information board.

At Paphos airport, three arrivals from London and one from Manchester were cancelled, along with corresponding departures to those destinations.

The disruption affected hundreds of flights across Britain for more than 400 flights had been cancelled and at least 600 delayed, with Heathrow reporting around 100 cancellations and 367 delays.

The technical problem was identified in the system used to process flight plans. The UK air traffic control provider said engineers were working towards a full restoration.

Heathrow and Gatwick were particularly affected, while problems were also reported at Stansted, London City, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Belfast airports.

The disruption also affected arrivals, with some aircraft remaining on the ground at airports elsewhere in Europe or being diverted to Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris and Dusseldorf.

Airlines and airports are expected to face further disruption even after the technical problem is resolved, as aircraft and crews have been displaced and flight schedules have accumulated delays.

The effects could continue for several hours and potentially into Wednesday as operators work to restore normal flight schedules.