More than 1,000 flights were cancelled or delayed across major UK airports starting from about 1pm on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, with the disruption continuing into Wednesday, September 9. At least 177 flights scheduled for September 9, mostly at London Heathrow Airport, were cancelled following a failure in air traffic control systems.
Affected Airports and Flight Cancellations
The technical fault impacted departing flights at several principal UK airports including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, and London Stansted. Arrivals at Heathrow were suspended late on September 8, with departures resuming later but experiencing significant delays. British Airways cancelled or diverted over 100 flights on September 8,
while Ryanair reported more than 50 cancellations and delays affecting over 65,000 passengers. Other airports affected by delays included Birmingham, Edinburgh, Belfast City, East Midlands, and Jersey. The disruption extended beyond the UK, with inbound flights held outside the country due to knock-on effects across European airspace.
Technical Cause and Resolution
The disruption originated from a technical failure in the flight processing system operated by Nats, the air traffic control provider serving 15 UK airports. The fault began around 1pm on September 8 and was resolved nearly four hours later, with Nats announcing the fix at 4:40pm. Officials clarified that the issue was distinct
from outages in 2023 and 2025, marking the third major air traffic control stoppage in the UK in just over three years. Despite the resolution of the fault, the backlog of delayed flights created an extended recovery period for the aviation network.
Passenger Impact and Airline Responses
Hundreds of thousands of passengers experienced flight cancellations, diversions, and extended wait times. British Airways offered free rebooking for affected travelers until Friday, September 11, 2026. Ryanair criticized Nats’ handling, with COO Neal McMahon demanding the resignation of Nats chief Martin Rolfe, citing repeated failures. The airline cited the disruption’s high impact on holidaymakers, business travelers, and visitors
to the UK. EasyJet and other carriers noted delays affecting flights across UK and European routes. British Airways described the incident as beyond its control and lamented the dislocation of aircraft and crews due to cancellations and diversions.
Official Statements and Government Response
Martin Rolfe, CEO of Nats, issued a public apology taking full responsibility, stating: “We absolutely take responsibility for this. We never want this sort of thing to happen. I completely understand how frustrating it is for passengers.” He described the recovery as “very complex” and said Nats was working closely with airlines and airports to maximize travel capacity during the ongoing recovery.
UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed technicians had identified and were fixing the technical issue. She expressed regret over passenger inconvenience and stated she was seeking assurances that lessons would be learned and systems improved. Ryanair and Wizz Air condemned Nats for repeated failures, calling for leadership changes and describing the provider as unfit for current demands.
Ongoing Recovery and Historical Context
Flight delays and cancellations persisted through the night of September 8 and into September 9 as operators worked to clear the backlog. The disruption follows previous major stoppages in 2023 and 2025, with Nats as the central air traffic control provider for UK
civil aviation. The complexity of the recovery process has prolonged travel disruptions across several UK airports and European routes. Nats acknowledged the difficulty of restoring operations and apologized for the sustained impact on the aviation network.
