A technical fault in the flight processing system operated by air traffic control provider Nats led to the cancellation of at least 425 flights in and out of the UK on September 8, 2026. EasyJet and British Airways each cancelled more than 100 flights as they grappled with the disruption.
Technical Failure Grounds Flights at Heathrow and Gatwick
Departures at London Heathrow Airport were paused around midday and faced further delays throughout the afternoon, with very few flights taking off. A ground stop was enforced at both Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Heathrow saw 13 inbound flights diverted to alternative UK and European airports due to constraints.
Passengers at
Gatwick reported being held on tarmac, unable to take off because of radar outages. Phil White, a passenger at Gatwick, said, “We’ve been told the radar is down and we can’t take off.” Meanwhile, Heathrow passengers experienced planes parked on taxiways because no gates were available, according to Chloe Davis, waiting on a Virgin Atlantic flight.
Widespread Impact on UK and Irish Airports
The technical failure disrupted flight operations beyond the London hubs. Airports including Manchester, East Midlands, Belfast’s two airports, City of Derry, Edinburgh, Dublin, and Cork experienced delays and cancellations. Manchester Airport warned some departing flights could be delayed, while City of Derry Airport reported
cancellations and slower operations.
Flight processing systems by Nats manage flight plans and operational data essential for safe and orderly air traffic control in UK and Irish airspace. The malfunction caused both departures and arrivals to be restricted because limited ground space prevented aircraft from landing or parking.
Passenger Delays and Backlog Persist
Although Nats reported that its systems began recovering just before 17:00 BST, the backlog of flights remained substantial. Limited gate availability at Heathrow caused planes to remain on taxiways, while restrictions on arrivals added to delays. Flights inbound from overseas were prevented from departing due to constrained airspace and ground capacity.
Passengers
faced uncertainty and frustration. Phil White noted pilots updated passengers approximately every 20 minutes while awaiting air traffic control information. Chloe Davis described the situation at Heathrow as lacking clear updates despite the prolonged delay since an originally scheduled 13:40 BST departure.
Official Responses and Passenger Advice
Nats stated that engineers were on site and it was “working urgently to resume normal operations as quickly as possible.” The organization apologized for the delays and advised passengers to confirm flight statuses with their airlines. British Airways commented the disruption was “entirely out of our control,” advising passengers to proceed to airports unless otherwise contacted.
Transport Secretary
Heidi Alexander acknowledged the system failure’s impact and passenger frustration. Post-disruption, travelers are recommended to follow airline communications for updates due to ongoing delays caused by operational backlogs.
