Nearly 2,000 flights were cancelled across the United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, after a technical glitch in Nats’ flight data processing system caused widespread air traffic control disruptions. Major airports affected include Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Luton, Aberdeen, and Glasgow, with additional impacts reported at Dublin Airport in Ireland.
Impact on Arrivals and Departures at Major UK Airports
Departures at Heathrow Airport were halted briefly around lunchtime on September 8, leading to a backlog that also restricted landings. As a result, 13 Heathrow-bound flights were redirected to other airports in the UK and Europe due to limited ground capacity. EasyJet cancelled 200 flights while British Airways cancelled
more than 100. On Tuesday afternoon alone, over 100 flights were either cancelled or diverted. Ryanair reported that more than 65,000 passengers experienced delays up to eight hours. The disruption extended to other busy airports including Gatwick and Manchester.
Passenger Experiences and Official Statements
Passengers faced prolonged delays and cancellations, with some stranded on aircraft for hours. Phil White, a passenger at Gatwick, said his flight was delayed on the tarmac for several hours due to radar outage. Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe apologized for the disruption, confirming the fault was unrelated to the 2023 system failure and that engineers were working onsite to resolve
the issue. He declined to comment on his position, stating his focus was on fixing the problem.
UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander summoned Rolfe for a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the incident. She called for assurances that lessons will be learned and that aviation support systems will be improved. Alexander confirmed there was no cyber attack involved. British Airways described the disruption as beyond their control while Heathrow Airport reported cooperation with Nats to manage operations during the fault.
Historical Context and Industry Reactions
This incident follows previous major air traffic control failures involving Nats, including a 2023 systems shutdown during the August bank
holiday weekend that disrupted 700,000 passengers and required three hours for an engineer to reach the site. Following those events, Britain’s aviation regulator mandated Nats to review contingency plans in 2024. Airlines including Ryanair and Wizz Air have criticized Nats’ current systems, calling for an overhaul and deeming it unfit for purpose. The latest fault primarily impacted departures, causing a ripple effect on arrivals due to ground space constraints.
