Up to 1,000 flights were cancelled across major UK airports on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, after a failure in the country’s air traffic control system disrupted operations and caused lengthy delays.
EasyJet cancelled around 200 flights, British Airways called off or rerouted more than 100 flights, and Ryanair reported delays affecting more than 65,000 passengers, with some experiencing waits of up to eight hours, according to FlightRadar24 and airline reports.
The disruption stemmed from a fault in the flight data processing system managed by National Air Traffic Services (NATS), which handles flight plans and operational information for controllers managing UK
airspace. Although NATS resolved the issue on the same day, airlines faced a significant backlog as they attempted to resume normal schedules.
Passengers reported long waits both on aircraft and inside terminals. Some were stranded on planes without ramps to disembark while others slept on airport floors due to a shortage of accommodation after cancellations. Airports heavily impacted included Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham. Additional delays were reported at airports in Scotland and Ireland.
Martin Rolfe, NATS chief executive, issued an apology to travellers and confirmed a full investigation into the fault causing the disruption. He warned that full recovery
of normal operations was taking longer than initially expected despite the system being fixed.
The incident affected some of the busiest UK airports. Airlines and airport staff managed visible queues of aircraft waiting to depart. The disruption came shortly after a previous major NATS air traffic control failure linked to software defects earlier in September 2026.
Passengers stranded at Heathrow described the situation firsthand. Monique Whiting noted the sight of numerous planes lined up to depart and said nearby accommodation was already booked out. Another passenger, Debbie Payne, reported individuals stuck onboard planes without ramps and expressed concern for non-English
speakers and families with young children.
