Hundreds of flights cancelled after air-traffic control 'technical issue' at major UK airports
Hundreds of departing flights from major British airports were disrupted on Tuesday after air-traffic control provider NATS experienced a technical issue. Heathrow , Gatwick , Manchester and Stansted were among the airports affected by cancellations and delays. NATS said it had implemented a fix and the flight system was starting to recover. However, the knock-on effect was expected to last for…
On Tuesday, hundreds of departing flights from major British airports faced disruptions due to a technical issue at air-traffic control provider NATS. The airports most affected included Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Stansted, all experiencing cancellations and delays. NATS reported that its engineers were on-site, working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.
UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander apologized for the inconvenience, acknowledging the frustration it would cause passengers. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 reported that arrivals and departures were being regulated at airports within the London flight information region, with about 100 flights cancelled at Heathrow and 367 delayed.
At Gatwick, approximately 250 flights were delayed, accounting for nearly a third of the total. Edinburgh Airport suggested the issue might impact its operations, while Dublin Airport reported disruptions in both incoming and outgoing flights. Other airports reporting delays or cancellations included London's Luton and Birmingham, as well as Aberdeen and Glasgow.
British Airways, easyJet, and Ryanair were among the airlines experiencing disruptions, with British Airways attributing the issue to NATS' control. easyJet noted the impact on flights across Europe. This incident follows previous technical problems at NATS, including a malfunction in 2024 that caused chaos across British airports, costing airlines over £100 million in refunds and compensation.
A similar radar-related technical issue in July last year disrupted flights for over four hours at major London airports, including Heathrow.
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