National Air Traffic Services (NATS) experienced a technical failure in its flight data processing system on September 8, 2026, starting at 1:46 p.m. local time. The fault was rectified by 4:40 p.m., but during this period, NATS drastically reduced permitted takeoffs and landings. More than 1,750 flights were canceled across United Kingdom airports on September 8, with at least 291 cancellations continuing on September 9.
Airlines Most Affected by Flight Disruptions
British Airways canceled over 190 flights on September 9 alone and had already canceled nearly 550 flights earlier that week. Ryanair canceled more than 50 flights and reported delays lasting up to eight hours for
over 65,000 passengers, estimating an immediate financial loss of approximately £3 million (US$4.06 million). EasyJet canceled around 200 flights, while Air India diverted, delayed, or canceled multiple services to and from the UK. Qatar Airways warned of delays and potential rerouting.
Major UK Airports Impacted
The disruption affected around 15 airports, including key hubs Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Stansted, Luton, London City, and Edinburgh. Heathrow, the world’s seventh busiest airport by passenger volume with over 84 million passengers in 2025, returned to normal operations by September 9 but cautioned that ongoing disruptions could occur while airlines repositioned aircraft and crews.
Official Responses and Investigation
NATS issued an unreserved
apology and acknowledged the recovery took longer than expected. CEO Martin Rolfe denied a cyber attack was responsible and announced a full internal investigation. UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander also ruled out cyber attack involvement. Ryanair’s COO Neal McMahon publicly called for Rolfe’s resignation, criticizing the failure to implement lessons from earlier incidents. A spokesperson from Wizz Air declared NATS in its current form unfit for purpose. The UK Civil Aviation Authority expects a full incident report from NATS and plans to assess if further regulatory actions are necessary.
Background on Previous NATS Failures
This marks the third significant NATS outage in three years. In
August 2023, a fault in automatic flight plan processing caused cancellations over multiple days during a public holiday weekend. In July 2025, a radar fault resulted in over 150 flight cancellations. Separately, Heathrow Airport experienced a closure in March 2025 due to a fire at an electrical substation, unrelated to these NATS incidents.
Passenger Impact and Compensation
Thousands of passengers experienced extensive delays, some lasting up to eight hours. British Airways rebooked more than 60,000 customers onto alternative flights. Passengers affected are entitled to assistance and rerouting; however, such large-scale technical failures are considered extraordinary circumstances, typically exempting airlines from fixed compensation requirements.
“We
know this is hugely frustrating and we apologize unreservedly,” NATS said in a statement released during the disruption.
