A technical failure in the flight data processing system of the UK’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) triggered over 2,000 flight cancellations across approximately fifteen airports on Tuesday, September 9, and Wednesday, September 10, 2026. The outage was first reported at 1:46 p.m. local time from the NATS control center in Swanwick, Hampshire, and was resolved by around 4:40 p.m. on Tuesday. During the fault, air traffic controllers sharply reduced permitted takeoffs and landings. Cirium recorded more than 1,750 cancellations on Tuesday alone and at least 291 on Wednesday, affecting major airports including London Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Stansted, Luton,
London City, and Edinburgh.
Airline Operations and Passenger Impact
British Airways canceled nearly 550 flights over the two days and rebooked more than 60,000 affected customers, impacting over 85,000 passengers. On Wednesday alone, British Airways canceled more than 190 flights but operated close to 80% of its planned schedule. EasyJet reported around 200 cancellations, while Ryanair canceled over 50 flights and estimated an immediate financial loss of approximately £3 million (US$4.06 million). Ryanair also stated that more than 65,000 of its passengers experienced delays up to eight hours. Air India was forced to divert, delay, or cancel multiple flights to and from the UK, and
Qatar Airways reported delays and possible rerouting due to the disruption. Heathrow Airport said flights were operating normally on Wednesday but noted potential disruptions during aircraft and crew repositioning.
Official Responses and Investigation
NATS Chief Executive Martin Rolfe confirmed there was no cyber attack involved and announced a full investigation into the outage. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander also ruled out cyber sabotage as a cause. The UK Civil Aviation Authority stated it expects a comprehensive report from NATS and will evaluate whether further regulatory measures are necessary. NATS issued an unreserved apology for the disruption, stating, “We know this is hugely frustrating and we
apologize unreservedly.” The organization did not disclose the exact technical cause of the failure.
History of NATS Failures and Airport Context
This is the third significant failure for NATS in three years. In August 2023, a flight plan processing malfunction caused cancellations over several days during a public holiday weekend. In July 2025, a radar fault led to more than 150 cancellations. Separately, Heathrow Airport—ranked as the world’s seventh busiest airport in 2025 with over 84 million passengers—had temporarily closed in March 2025 due to a fire at an electrical substation. The latest failure at NATS exposes ongoing vulnerabilities in UK air traffic management systems.
Passenger Disruption and Entitlements
The disruptions
affected flights at about fifteen UK airports. Passengers faced cancellations, long delays, and rerouting. Ryanair’s delays extended up to eight hours for tens of thousands of passengers. Under applicable regulations, affected travellers are entitled to assistance and alternative travel arrangements. British Airways extended free flight change options until Sunday, September 13, for customers choosing not to travel due to the disruption.
Calls for accountability have come from airline executives. Ryanair Chief Operating Officer Neal McMahon called for NATS CEO Martin Rolfe’s resignation and criticized the air traffic provider for not applying lessons from the 2023 failure. A spokesperson for Wizz
Air described the current NATS system as “not fit for purpose.” Rolfe defended the organization’s systems, emphasizing their adequacy while apologizing for the outage. The UK Civil Aviation Authority continues to monitor the situation closely for further action.
