Departing flights at London Heathrow and Gatwick airports were restricted and grounded on the afternoon of September 8, 2026, due to a technical failure impacting UK air traffic control systems.
Cause of the Disruption
The disruption stemmed from a technical failure in the UK’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) equipment, impacting data processing within the air traffic control system. Eurocontrol reported that this issue led to flights originating from continental Europe and scheduled to land at Heathrow and Gatwick being held on the ground.
Operational Impact on Flights
The grounding and restrictions affected departures at both London airports, while arrival operations continued unaffected. Heathrow Airport confirmed that arriving
flights were not impacted by the NATS failure. Some inbound flights from Europe destined for these airports faced delays on taxiways in their originating countries.
Official Responses and Ongoing Efforts
A NATS spokesman said engineers were on site investigating the issue and working to restore normal operations, stating: “We are investigating a technical issue which is causing some disruption to flight departures. Our engineers are on site and we will provide an update as soon as we can.” Heathrow representatives acknowledged the disruption affected departures and emphasized ongoing support for local air traffic control teams. They said: “The air traffic control service Nats is experiencing
a technical issue which is impacting departing flights at UK airports. Arriving flights are not currently impacted.” Passengers were advised to check flight status directly with their airlines before traveling to the airports.
The scale and duration of the disruption remain unknown. With departures curtailed and some European flights held, airline schedules face possible knock-on delays across the afternoon and potentially beyond.
