{
  "id": 6321365,
  "title": "Hundreds of UK flights delayed, cancelled due to Heathrow Airport air traffic control technical issue",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/hundreds-of-uk-flights-delayed-cancelled-due-to-heathrow-airport-air",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-08T20:13:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CityNews",
    "slug": "citynews",
    "url": "https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/09/08/hundreds-of-uk-flights-delayed-cancelled-due-to-heathrow-airport-air-traffic-control-technical-issue/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Flights at London's Heathrow Airport faced significant disruptions on Tuesday due to an air traffic control technical issue. The problem at the air traffic service provider, NATS, caused delays and cancellations of hundreds of flights entering and leaving Heathrow. The situation affected not just UK flights, but also resulted in cancellations at Toronto Pearson International Airport for some passengers traveling from and to Heathrow. The issue was first flagged around 9 a.m. ET, with NATS stating on X that they were investigating a technical problem causing flight disruptions. By the afternoon, NATS confirmed that both arriving and departing flights were impacted, urging travelers to verify their flights with airlines before heading to the airport. Heathrow Airport and NATS apologized for the inconvenience caused by the prolonged technical glitch, which was eventually resolved around 2:30 p.m. ET. The air traffic control service acknowledged the extended resolution time but assured ongoing efforts to clear the flight backlog.",
  "summary": "NATS, the provider of air traffic control services at Heathrow, first reported the problem around 9 a.m. ET and resolved the issue hours later.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Live Mint",
        "title": "Major UK air traffic control failure disrupts flights: Heathrow, Manchester hit; EasyJet, British Airways warn of delays",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/major-uk-air-traffic-control-failure-disrupts-flights-heathrow",
        "published": "2026-09-08T15:49:10.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Press Journal",
        "title": "Nearly 300 Flights Cancelled Across UK After Major Air Traffic Control System Glitch",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/nearly-300-flights-cancelled-across-uk-after-major-air-traffic",
        "published": "2026-09-08T16:25:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News AU",
        "title": "Australians sleep at Heathrow after UK air traffic control failure",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/australians-sleep-at-heathrow-after-uk-air-traffic-control-failure",
        "published": "2026-09-08T23:52:20.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}