More than 1,000 flights were cancelled on October 26, 2026, across at least 15 UK airports including London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, City, Manchester, Birmingham, and airports in Scotland.
Cause and Resolution of Disruption
The widespread cancellations and delays were caused by a failure in the UK air traffic control flight processing system. National Air Traffic Services resolved the issue in the evening of October 26, restoring operations.
Passenger Impact and Airport Conditions
Thousands of passengers were stranded onboard planes and in terminals for hours. Some travelers experienced delays exceeding three hours on aircraft, including a British Airways flight delayed over four hours at Heathrow and a Ryanair flight stuck for
three hours at Gatwick. Heathrow Airport suspended arrivals for the rest of the night but continued departures. Baggage claim areas at Heathrow faced chaotic conditions with no onsite assistance, requiring passengers to file claims themselves. British Airways flight attendants served meals such as pasta and chicken curry during extended delays at Heathrow.
Airline Flight Cancellations and Passenger Disruptions
British Airways cancelled or diverted more than 100 flights due to the disruption. Ryanair cancelled over 50 flights and disrupted travel for more than 65,000 passengers. EasyJet experienced delays across Europe with some flights unable to operate due to the air traffic control system failure.
Official Statements and Passenger Experiences
A British Airways
spokesperson stated, “The severity of the issue means there will be a significant knock-on impact.” They added, “This incident was entirely out of our control and incredibly frustrating for our customers and colleagues, with aircraft and crews ending up out of place.” Passenger Josie Donoghue, stuck on a Gatwick-bound Ryanair flight for three hours, described it as “an absolute nightmare” and compared getting through the airport to “trying to get out of Alcatraz.” Airlines and airports worked overnight to clear the backlog of delayed and cancelled flights following the resolution of the air traffic control system failure.
