A technical malfunction in the UK’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) system on September 8 and 9, 2026, caused extensive flight cancellations and delays at major British airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, and regional airports in Scotland and Ireland.
The air traffic control outage led to over 1,300 cancellations on Tuesday, September 8, and at least 177 flight cancellations on Wednesday morning, September 9, with almost all Wednesday cancellations occurring at London Heathrow, according to aircraft tracker Flightradar24.
Flight Cancellations and Passenger Disruptions Across UK Airports
Ryanair reported more than 50 flight cancellations and stated that approximately 65,000 passengers were delayed by up to eight hours. British
Airways confirmed the incident caused significant knock-on effects for customers and staff. Air India announced it had to divert, delay, or cancel several flights to and from UK airports. Qatar Airways warned of delays and possible rerouting of flights involving the UK.
Airline and Government Responses to the Outage
Ryanair’s Chief Operating Officer Neal McMahon publicly called for the resignation of NATS CEO Martin Rolfe, citing repeated failures including a major air traffic control failure in 2023. Rolfe apologized for the disruption during interviews and defended the organization’s system as fit for purpose. UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander demanded assurances that lessons will be learned and air
traffic control systems improved.
Passenger Impact and Reported Experiences
Thousands of travelers faced cancellations and prolonged delays. Social media posts described crowded airport terminals and stressful conditions. One British Airways passenger shared that a replacement journey to Rome involved a “24 hour 4 flight transit for a 2 and a half hour flight.” Passenger Josie Donoghue was stranded on a Ryanair flight at Gatwick for three hours before cancellation, describing passing through the airport as “like trying to get out of Alcatraz.”
Official Statements and Airport Warnings
NATS issued an unreserved apology for the outage and confirmed systems are now operating normally while clearing backlog. Rolfe apologized personally but maintained
that NATS is fit for purpose. Both Heathrow and Gatwick airports warned travelers of ongoing disruption and advised verifying flight status before traveling.
This is the second major air traffic control outage within two years affecting Heathrow, which was the world’s seventh-busiest airport by passenger traffic in 2025 with over 84 million passengers. Previous notable incidents include a 2025 power outage after a nearby fire and a 2024 global IT software crash impacting UK airports.
