{
  "id": 8925486,
  "title": "UK hit by new air traffic outage, flights cancelled",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/uk-hit-by-new-air-traffic-outage-flights-cancelled",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-21T13:15:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/09/21/uk-hit-by-new-air-traffic-outage-cancelling-flights"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 10, the United Kingdom experienced another air traffic disruption, with some flights canceled due to a technical problem at the National Air Traffic Services (NATS), the country's air traffic control agency. This marks the second such outage in two weeks, following a similar incident on September 8 and 9 that resulted in over 2,000 flight cancellations and delays affecting more than 330,000 passengers. NATS apologized for the latest disruption at a centre in Scotland, stating that it was unrelated to the previous issue. Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that 72 out of over 6,000 flights to or from the UK were canceled, though London-area airports were less affected. Transport Minister Heidi Alexander acknowledged the frustration for passengers, and Irish airline Ryanair called for NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe's resignation, alleging over 140 of their flights were delayed. The latest technical glitch comes after a major air systems failure in July 2025 that affected over 700,000 passengers. NATS operates under a public-private partnership model, with the government holding a 49% stake and a golden share for intervention in strategic decisions.",
  "summary": "The National Air Traffic Services, plagued by several incidents in recent years, apologised for the latest incident at a centre in Scotland, which has since been fixed.",
  "key_points": [
    "UK faces second air traffic outage in two weeks on September 10",
    "72 out of 6,000 flights canceled, mostly avoiding London airports",
    "Transport Minister Heidi Alexander addresses passenger frustration"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "UK hit by fresh air traffic outage at Scotland centre, flights cancelled",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/uk-hit-by-fresh-air-traffic-outage-at-scotland-centre-flights",
        "published": "2026-09-21T12:24:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "UK hit by new air traffic outage, flights cancelled",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/uk-hit-by-new-air-traffic-outage-flights-cancelled-8928952",
        "published": "2026-09-21T13:15:29.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}