More than 200 flights were cancelled across UK airports on 21 September 2026 after a technical connectivity issue at National Air Traffic Services’ (Nats) Prestwick centre in Scotland disrupted air traffic control in Scotland and northern England. The fault occurred early that morning and was resolved by around 10:30 AM BST, but delays continued throughout the day across multiple regions.
Ryanair reported 140 of its flights affected by the outage, impacting approximately 25,000 passengers, according to airline data. Cirium confirmed the total cancellations exceeded 200 across the United Kingdom. Flights departing from and arriving into key airports in Scotland, Northern
Ireland, and northern England were most affected by the disruptions caused by the air traffic control failure.
Airports experiencing delays or cancellations included Glasgow, Prestwick, and Edinburgh in Scotland; Manchester, Newcastle, East Midlands, and Dundee further south; and Belfast City and Benbecula airports in Northern Ireland and the Scottish isles. Airlines impacted notably included Ryanair, British Airways, easyJet, and Jet2 operating routes within these regions.
Official Responses and Industry Reaction
A Nats spokesperson confirmed the Prestwick centre issue was distinct from a separate software defect reported on 8 September 2026, which had earlier caused cancellations. “The issue in our Prestwick centre is now fixed. We
are working with airports and airlines to safely lift air traffic regulations as quickly as we can to minimise any further disruption,” the spokesperson said.
UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander acknowledged the problem on social media, calling it “deeply frustrating for passengers after the previous issue.” Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney affirmed commitment to dialogue with Nats to fortify system resilience, stating, “We’ll engage with the national air traffic control service to ensure that these issues are addressed and that the resilience necessary for these systems is available at all times.”
Ryanair’s COO Neal McMahon criticised the handling of the
incident and called for the resignation of Nats CEO Martin Rolfe. McMahon said, “Just three days after Nats assured airlines and passengers that it had introduced robust ‘mitigation plans’, its flight data processing system has failed again.” Jet2 Chief Executive Steve Heapy described the repeated failures as unacceptable, emphasizing the need for urgent action and accountability from Nats. British Airways labelled the disruption “disappointing,” citing “yet another technical fault with Nats.” The Civil Aviation Authority noted passengers’ compensation claims are unlikely due to the disruption being classified as ‘extraordinary circumstances.’
Passenger Impact and Airport Operations
Passengers faced cancellations and delays, with some stranded on aircraft
for near two hours at Glasgow Airport. Nicole McCloskey from Kilmarnock had her flight to Paris cancelled and had to rebook. Frank Bonner, due to fly from Glasgow to Las Vegas as best man at a wedding, struggled to secure alternative travel and anticipated losing time for pre-wedding plans. Lewis Fraser from Inverness was delayed on the runway at Glasgow while attempting to connect through Heathrow.
Manchester Airports Group reported delays up to one hour at Manchester Airport and ongoing disruptions at East Midlands Airport. AGS, operator of Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Southampton airports, highlighted that most delays affected Glasgow Airport
with network-wide knock-on effects. Highlands and Islands airports reported impacts across their 11 regional airports, reflecting the wide operational reach of the disruption.
Background on Previous Nats Incidents and Industry Context
This incident marks the fourth nationwide air traffic control disruption involving Nats in the last three years. A 2023 computer shutdown during the August bank holiday impacted approximately 700,000 passengers. Another Nats outage in 2025 caused over 150 flight cancellations. The 21 September 2026 event was unrelated to September’s earlier software defect but highlights Nats’ ongoing challenges maintaining system stability.
Nats operates the Prestwick centre responsible for air traffic control across Scotland and northern England and handles
about 2.5 million flights annually. Despite CEO Martin Rolfe declining calls to resign and taking responsibility for the earlier defect, industry figures urge stronger accountability and technological improvements to prevent recurrent service failures.
Calls for Accountability Following Repeated Failures
Ryanair’s Neal McMahon criticised Nats’ claims that a similar failure was unlikely again, calling those claims “completely worthless.” He urged Martin Rolfe to step down to restore trust. Jet2’s Steve Heapy underscored the repeated disruption as unacceptable for travel customers and airlines. The growing pressure on Nats follows recent incidents affecting UK airspace capacity and reliability.
Passengers affected by the 21 September incident are advised to monitor
airline communications as delays and cancellations persist. The Civil Aviation Authority reminded airlines of their duty to assist passengers but noted disruption resulting from extraordinary technical faults like this is unlikely to warrant compensation under regulations.
