A severe technical fault within the UK’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) flight data processing systems on September 10, 2026, led to the cancellation of nearly 2,000 flights across the country by Wednesday morning. The initial disruption on Tuesday forced cancellation of 1,055 flights by 8:00 p.m., with an additional 291 flights grounded on Wednesday as airlines managed operational backlogs.
Major UK Airports and Airlines Impacted
The cancellations affected key UK airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham. British Airways cancelled nearly 550 flights on Tuesday and Wednesday, affecting over 85,000 customers, while operating nearly 80% of its schedule on Wednesday. Ryanair cancelled more than 50
flights and experienced delays impacting upwards of 65,000 passengers, with some facing delays lasting up to eight hours. Wizz Air and EasyJet publicly criticised the NATS infrastructure as inadequate and unacceptable.
Passenger Disruption and Official Advisories
Passengers at affected airports including Heathrow were advised to travel only if flights were confirmed due to ongoing disruptions. Heathrow temporarily halted departures on Tuesday before gradually resuming service. Disruptions extended beyond the UK, causing delays at airports in Ireland. Passengers stranded by cancellations were entitled to meals, refreshments, and accommodation if delayed overnight. However, due to the classification of the fault as an extraordinary circumstance originating with the
national air traffic control system, statutory cash compensation for passengers was generally not applicable.
Official Responses and Investigations
NATS engineers resolved the technical issue by Tuesday afternoon. The agency confirmed the fault was technical and ruled out any cyberattack, stating: “Our system issue is now resolved, we are operating normally and working as hard as possible to clear the backlog of flights.” NATS Chief Executive Martin Rolfe publicly accepted responsibility and apologized to affected passengers. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander summoned Rolfe to explain the failure and imposed a one-week deadline for a comprehensive independent investigation report. Ryanair’s Chief Operating Officer Neal McMahon demanded Rolfe’s
resignation, citing repeated failures, while Wizz Air called the infrastructure “not fit for purpose” and criticized repeated shutdowns of the aviation network.
Background and Regulatory Context
This incident follows a similar catastrophic NATS outage in August 2023, which cost the airline industry over £100 million. The UK government, which owns a 49% stake in NATS, exerts strategic control over the organisation. The UK Civil Aviation Authority is evaluating potential regulatory reforms to prevent future failures and secure the aviation system’s reliability. Airlines like British Airways rebooked more than 60,000 customers affected by the current disruption, highlighting the scale of operational and financial challenges posed
by repeated NATS system faults.
