A technical failure at the NATS air traffic control centre in Prestwick, Scotland, on Monday, 21 September 2026, has reduced flight capacity across Scottish-controlled airspace by approximately 60%, severely disrupting operations. The disruption has also lowered capacity for some transatlantic departures by around 40%, impacting flights over parts of the North Atlantic.
Flight Cancellations and Affected Airlines
More than 20 EasyJet flights have been cancelled in response to the air traffic control capacity cut. In total, at least 24 flights have been cancelled across affected UK airports. British Airways and KLM services are also among those impacted by the technical failure at the Prestwick centre.
Impacted Airports and Regions
Airports in Scotland, including Prestwick, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, are experiencing significant operational disruption. Flights involving Northern Ireland and northern England are also affected. Conversely, airports south of Manchester have remained broadly unaffected. Flights heading northbound or departing from Scottish airports continue to encounter restrictions due to the reduced air traffic capacity.
Operational Adjustments and Advisory
Some flight processing is being conducted manually while engineers work to resolve the technical failure at the NATS Prestwick air traffic control centre. Passengers booked on flights through Scotland and northern Britain face cancellations and delays as a consequence. Travelers are advised to consult their airlines directly for the
latest flight status updates before traveling to affected airports.
NATS confirmed the incident on 21 September is unrelated to a major UK-wide air traffic control outage that occurred earlier in the month. Engineering teams remain on site at the Prestwick centre, actively investigating and addressing the cause of the system failure.
