EasyJet canceled over 20 flights on Monday, September 21, 2026, after a technical failure at the NATS air traffic control centre in Prestwick, Scotland, slashed operational capacity by approximately 60%. At least 24 flights were canceled across affected UK airports, with dozens more facing delays.
Capacity Cuts Affect Scottish Airspace and Transatlantic Routes
Data from Eurocontrol shows that capacity through Scottish-controlled airspace has been reduced by around 60% due to the incident. The reduction also impacted some transatlantic departures, cutting capacity on those routes by about 40%, disrupting flights between Britain, Europe, and North America.
Disruptions Across Scottish and Northern UK Airports
Edinburgh and Glasgow airports encountered significant operational disruption on Monday. Flights involving Northern
Ireland and northern England also experienced issues linked to the capacity restrictions at Prestwick. Southern airports, those located south of Manchester, were largely unaffected according to NATS.
Manual Flight Processing and Ongoing Engineering Efforts
Due to the technical fault at the Prestwick control centre, some flight handling has been shifted to manual processing, contributing to delays. Engineers from NATS are actively investigating the failure with no confirmed resolution time. NATS clarified this incident is unrelated to an earlier major air traffic control outage that occurred in the UK earlier in September.
Passengers booked on flights through Scottish-controlled airspace and northern Britain face ongoing cancellations and delays. Airlines
affected include EasyJet, British Airways, and KLM, all of which have had flights disrupted by the reduced air traffic control capacity at Prestwick.
Operational restrictions remain in place for flights departing from Scottish airports and those traveling northbound, highlighting the continued impact on Monday’s air travel schedules in the region.
