Flight chaos set to last for days after air traffic control 'issue' wreaks havoc across nation

You are about to be charged £0.00* *Your gift has been applied Thank you for subscribing! Flight chaos set to last for days after air traffic control 'issue' wreaks havoc across nation By Ed Griffiths, George Bunn, James Saunders, Published: 08/09/2026 - 14:49Updated: 09/09/2026 - 04:35The head of the UK's main air traffic control provider has been summoned to meet the Transport Secretary to explain what happened Don't Miss Most Read Latest Tuesday's flight delays are expected to continue for days after an "issue" plaguing air traffic control cancelled more than 1,000 flights across the UK. Tens of thousands of people had their journeys disrupted by the fault. Nats, which provides air traffic control services to 15 British airports, said an issue with its "flight processing system" was causing disruption to flight departures. More than 1,300 flights were cancelled in the chaos, according to tracking website FlightRadar24, with Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham among the worst-affected airports. A total of 177 flights have already been cancelled on Wednesday - nearly all of which are to and from Heathrow. With few aircraft able to take off, landings were restricted, with some flights from overseas unable to even leave their airports. Nats chief Martin Rolfe went on to apologise for the issues, telling the BBC there would be a full investigation into what had gone wrong. When asked whether he was considering his position, Mr Rolfe said there would be "lots of time for that later" but his focus now was on making sure the problem was solved. He has since been summoned to meet the Transport Secretary on Wednesday before she addresses MPs for the second reading of the Civil Aviation Bill. Nats itself admitted resolving the issue had taken "longer than hoped". Tens of thousands of people had their journeys disrupted by the fault |GETTY A total of 177 flights have already been cancelled on Wednesday - nearly all of which are to and from Heathrow |GETTY EasyJet cancelled north of 200 flights, while British Airways scrapped more than 100. Ryanair alone said more than 65,000 passengers had been delayed by up to eight hours. Flightradar24 found 352 flights to and from Heathrow were delayed, out of a daily average of about 1,300. At Gatwick, 281 flights were delayed out of an average 850 daily operations, while Manchester saw 249 delays out of around 650 flights. Birmingham recorded 101 delayed flights, compared with an average of around 300 daily operations. TRAVEL CHAOS - READ MORE: Ryanair alone said more than 65,000 passengers had been delayed by up to eight hours |GETTY Passengers at London Heathrow and Gatwick are facing major delays |FLIGHTRADAR The number of cancellations is expected to rise, with Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham among the worst-affected airports |PA Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said technicians had identified the problem and were working to fix it. She said: "I’m aware of a technical issue impacting flights at airports including Heathrow and Gatwick. Technicians have identified the issue and are fixing it as we speak. "I know this will be frustrating for passengers and I'm sorry. Please check with your airline for latest advice." Premier League champions Arsenal were due to fly out to Naples on Tuesday afternoon for tonight's Champions League clash with Napoli - but could now run the risk of a Uefa sanction after their flight was delayed. Heathrow said the Nats technical issue was affecting departing flights at UK airports, but that arriving flights were not currently impacted. A spokesman for the airport said: "We are supporting our local Nats team in their efforts to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said technicians had identified the problem and were working to fix it | PA"We will provide updated information when we have it. We apologise to those disrupted and advise passengers to check with their airline for latest flight information." Birmingham Airport said the issue was affecting airspace in the south of the UK and was impacting a significant number of departing flights across the country. A spokesman for the Midlands airport said: "We apologise to customers whose journeys have been impacted. Passengers are advised to arrive at Birmingham Airport (BHX) in line with their airline’s check-in requirements and to contact their airline directly for the latest flight information and updates." London Stansted is also experiencing disruption, while Edinburgh Airport said the technical issue affecting Nats "may impact operations". Belfast City Airport also warned passengers of "some disruption" to flights - while Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports all also reported some disruption. Nats is responsible for providing air traffic control services at 15 UK airports, including Manchester, Stansted, East Midlands and Birmingham. A departure board at Terminal 5 Heathrow showing cancelled flights |PA The organisation has not yet said exactly what caused the technical problem with its flight processing system. But the disruption comes after previous technical failures have caused major problems for passengers. Last July, a "radar-related issue" caused an air traffic control failure that grounded flights across the UK, disrupting thousands of passengers and forcing the cancellation of more than 160 flights. The problem happened at Nats' control centre in Swanwick in Hampshire, and affected the vast majority of England and Wales. A Government source said the failure lasted around 20 minutes, with the level of disruption similar to a day with bad weather. In August 2023, more than 700,000 passengers suffered disruption when flights were grounded at UK airports after Nats suffered a technical glitch while processing a flight plan. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter