{
  "id": 8261735,
  "title": "Over 2,000 UK flight cancellations traced to millisecond software defect",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/over-2-000-uk-flight-cancellations-traced-to-millisecond-software",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-18T15:05:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368068/over-2000-uk-flight-cancellations-traced-millisecond-software-defect"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An analysis has revealed that a software glitch lasting just a millisecond caused the cancellation of over 2,000 flights in and out of the United Kingdom last week. NATS, the company responsible for the UK air traffic control system, reported that the error occurred on September 8. The anomaly affected hundreds of thousands of travelers, stranding them for hours on airport runways and terminals, and took days to resolve. NATS CEO Martin Rolfe acknowledged the issue and stated that it stemmed from a small section of coding within their flight data system. He assured that measures are in place to prevent recurrence, along with a permanent fix undergoing testing. Rolfe emphasized that the incident was not due to any negligence on the part of either military or civil operators. UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander convened with Rolfe after the chaos and mandated a comprehensive investigation by NATS to ensure that lessons are learned. Alexander expressed satisfaction that passenger safety was upheld but stressed the urgency of understanding why the issue was not identified and rectified earlier. She tasked the Civil Aviation Authority with an independent review to validate NATS' findings and examine their plans for future resilience and regulatory accountability. The UK government holds a 49% stake in NATS, granting it significant influence over key decisions. Other shareholders include airlines, airports, investors, and employees of the public-private partnership.",
  "summary": "A preliminary report on Friday blamed a millisecond-software defect for the cancellation of over 2,000 flights in and out of the United Kingdom last week. NATS, formerly known as National Air Traffic Services, said on Friday that the glitch on September 8 was behind the mayhem at British airports and beyond, rather than any human failings – as many had speculated at the time. It said a software…",
  "key_points": [
    "A millisecond software glitch caused 2,000+ UK flight cancellations",
    "Error occurred on September 8 in NATS flight data system",
    "NATS CEO assures permanent fix, independent review mandated"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Press Journal",
        "title": "UK Flight Chaos: ‘Millisecond’ Software Error Disrupted Hundreds Of Thousands Of Passengers, Nats Report Says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/uk-flight-chaos-millisecond-software-error-disrupted-hundreds-of",
        "published": "2026-09-18T16:19:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}