UK Air Traffic Control Failure Grounds Over 1,000 Flights Nationwide

A technical issue with the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) flight processing system disrupted departures across the United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 8. The fault led to the suspension of flights at London Heathrow and Gatwick, with knock-on effects at Stansted, Luton, London City, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dublin airports.

NATS engineers investigated the problem throughout the afternoon. A spokesperson confirmed the issue had been resolved by evening but warned that delays would continue due to a backlog of flights. Passengers were advised to check with their airlines before travelling.

“We are investigating a technical issue which is causing some disruption to flight departures. Our engineers are on site and we will provide an update as soon as we can.”

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 and AirNav Radar showed sharply different cancellation totals. One source recorded more than 625 cancelled flights by early evening, while another counted at least 1,035 cancellations across the UK by 23:00. Heathrow alone accounted for 215 to 291 cancellations depending on the source.

Glasgow Airport confirmed cancellations including British Airways flights to London City and Heathrow and an easyJet service to Bristol. AGS, the airport operator, apologised for the disruption and urged passengers to verify flight status with carriers.

The incident echoes a similar radar-related failure in 2024 that caused widespread chaos. The UK Civil Aviation Authority subsequently called on NATS to review its contingency plans for system outages.