Flights across the United Kingdom are returning to normal after a major air traffic control technical problem caused widespread disruption at airports on September 8, 2026. The issue affected NATS, the company responsible for air traffic control services in the UK. A technical failure in its flight data processing system disrupted arriving and departing flights at several major airports. More than 1,000 flights were cancelled, while many others were delayed or diverted. Hundreds of thousands of passengers were affected by the disruption.
Major Disruption Across UK Airports
The technical problem affected airports across the country, including some of the UK's busiest aviation hubs. Heathrow Airport temporarily suspended arrivals on Tuesday because of the NATS issue. Departures later resumed but the airport warned passengers that disruption could continue while airlines worked to restore their schedules.
Heathrow Airport
Arrivals were temporarily suspended during the NATS technical issue before operations gradually resumed.
Heathrow advised passengers to check their flight status directly with their airline before travelling to the airport. Other airports and airlines also experienced delays and cancellations as air traffic restrictions affected the national aviation network.
More Than 1,000 Flights Cancelled
1,000+
150,000
200+
The disruption had a major impact on airline schedules. More than 1,000 flights were cancelled during the incident. Many aircraft and crew members were left in the wrong locations. This created additional problems even after the technical issue itself was resolved.
Ryanair: around 150,000 passengers affected and more than 200 flights cancelled.
British Airways: around 100 flights cancelled or diverted.
Because aircraft and crews needed to be repositioned, airlines warned that some delays and schedule changes could continue during the recovery period.
NATS Says the Technical Problem Has Been Resolved
NATS later confirmed that the technical issue had been fixed. The company said the incident did not affect the safety of flights and that it was working with airports and airlines to return operations to normal.
However, the latest outage has increased attention on the reliability of the UK's air traffic control system.
Airlines and Regulators Want Answers
Airlines including Ryanair and Wizz Air criticised NATS after the disruption and called for improvements to its systems and contingency planning.
The UK's Civil Aviation Authority has also asked NATS for a full report about the incident and is expected to review what happened.
Why Can an Air Traffic Control Outage Cause So Much Disruption?
Air traffic control systems manage the movement of aircraft through busy airspace. When a major technical problem occurs, the number of flights that controllers can safely manage may need to be reduced. This can quickly create delays across many airports because aircraft, crews and airport slots are closely connected.
Air Traffic Restrictions
Delays Build Quickly
Aircraft and Crews Need Repositioning
Even after the original problem is fixed, airlines may need several hours or longer to return aircraft and crews to their planned locations. This is why disruption can continue after an air traffic control system starts working again.
What Should Passengers Do?
Passengers travelling through UK airports should continue to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. Heathrow has advised travellers to contact their airline for the latest information because schedules may continue to change during the recovery period.
Check Your Flight
Check your airline's website or app before travelling to the airport.
Check Passenger Rights
If your flight is cancelled or significantly delayed, check what assistance or refund options may apply.
Passengers whose flights are cancelled or significantly delayed may also have rights to assistance, refunds or compensation depending on the circumstances and applicable passenger protection rules. Heathrow directs affected passengers to airline and Civil Aviation Authority guidance for more information. The technical problem has now been resolved, but UK airports and airlines are continuing to work through the effects of one of the country's largest recent air traffic control disruptions.
