More flights delayed after hundreds cancelled by air traffic control glitch
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More flights delayed after hundreds cancelled by air traffic control glitch
Image source: Reuters
By Theo Leggett, Business Correspondent, and Katy Austin, Transport correspondent
Published 8 September 2026
Updated 3 hours ago
Flight delays will continue on Wednesday after an air traffic control problem in the UK cancelled hundreds of journeys. Tens of thousands of passengers were affected by the disruption, with tracking website FlightRadar24 reporting up to 1,000 flight cancellations due to a glitch affecting air traffic control provider Nats.
Nats boss Martin Rolfe apologised, telling the BBC there would be a full investigation into the issue after the firm acknowledged it had taken "longer than hoped" to resolve the problem. The BBC understands Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has summoned Rolfe to a meeting on Wednesday to address questions about the disruption and response. She is also expected to confirm that a cyber attack was "categorically" not responsible for the fault.
With few aircraft able to take off, landings were restricted, leading to some flights being unable to depart overseas airports. The fault affected areas across the UK and beyond, with airports in Ireland also experiencing disruption. EasyJet made 200 cancellations and British Airways more than 100.
This is not the first time Nats’ control system has been disrupted. In 2023, a computer shutdown over the August bank holiday weekend caused chaos for 700,000 passengers. It took an engineer three hours to reach work after being unable to correct the fault from home.
Ryanair and Wizz Air have called for an overhaul of Nats, with Wizz Air stating it is "not fit for purpose" in its current state. When asked if he was considering his position, Rolfe said there would be "lots of time for that later," but his focus remained on resolving the problem.
Alexander advised: "It will take time to fully resume flights, so continue to check with airlines." She added: "I am seeking assurances that lessons will be learned and systems that support aviation are up to the job."
Ryanair reported over 65,000 passengers had been delayed by up to eight hours on Tuesday.
At Heathrow, one of Europe’s busiest airports, departures were initially paused around lunchtime. Traffic then resumed but faced further disruptions in the afternoon. Heathrow reportedly ran out of space for incoming flights due to planes not departing, resulting in 13 Heathrow-bound flights being diverted to other locations in the UK and Europe.
According to FlightRadar, the most affected airports were Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham. Passengers are advised to contact their airlines regarding flight status.
British Airways stated they were anticipating residual effects. "We were forced to cancel or divert more than 100 flights on Tuesday afternoon," a spokesperson said. "We’re doing everything we can to keep our customers updated and make arrangements for them to continue their journeys."
Ryanair assured affected passengers they would be notified.
