Key takeaways:
- NATS said the disruption was caused by a technical issue in its flight processing system and warned that recovery would take time.
- Heathrow departures were paused around lunchtime and later faced stop-start disruption, while arriving flights were reported to be landing as normal.
- British Airways, Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air all reported or responded to disruption, with Wizz Air criticising NATS over the failure.
Departing flights at several UK airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, were disrupted Tuesday after air traffic control provider NATS reported a technical problem in its flight processing system.
Heathrow paused departures around lunchtime before traffic resumed, then faced further stop-start disruption during the afternoon. The airport said arriving flights were not currently affected, and the BBC reported that incoming flights were landing as normal. Gatwick said it was also being affected, along with other airports.
NATS said engineers were working to restore normal service but warned that delays would continue while the system recovered.
“We have identified that the issue was in our flight processing system. Our engineers are on site and working urgently to resume normal operations as quickly as possible,” NATS said in a statement. “Flights are still departing and airspace is open, but recovery will take some time.”
The agency apologised for the disruption and advised passengers to check their flight status with their airline. It said updates would be provided on its website and on X.
The disruption extended beyond London. East Midlands Airport was affected, while Manchester Airport warned that some departing flights could be delayed. Edinburgh Airport said in a post on X that the issue might affect its operations and said it was working closely with air traffic control, airlines and other partners.
Birmingham Airport said the problem was affecting airspace in the south of the UK and “impacting a significant number of departing flights across the country.” It advised passengers to arrive in line with their airline’s check-in requirements and contact airlines directly for the latest information.
Cardiff Airport said the impact there was “currently minimal,” but also urged passengers to check with their airline or travel operator.
Delays were also reported at Dublin and Cork airports in Ireland, according to the BBC.
British Airways said it was “experiencing some flight disruption” because of the NATS issue and was contacting customers. In a statement on its website, the airline told passengers to travel to the airport as normal if they had not been contacted directly, adding that the situation was “entirely out of our control.” Ryanair said affected passengers would be notified.
EasyJet reported that the UK air traffic control system failure was causing delays to flights across Europe, with some flights unable to operate, Reuters reported via The Guardian.
Wizz Air criticised NATS over the failure, saying it was “extremely disappointed” by the issue. The airline said a critical national infrastructure provider should not repeatedly bring the aviation system to a standstill and said NATS was not fit for purpose in its current form, The Guardian reported.
Travel insurance expert Anna-Marie Duthie of financial ratings company Defaqto said airlines should cover essentials during significant delays, such as food, drink, phone calls and, if needed, overnight accommodation and transport to a hotel. She said insurers and airlines could class the disruption as “extraordinary circumstances,” which may affect compensation, but transport providers and tour operators still have responsibilities if a flight does not go ahead as planned.
NATS previously experienced a technical problem in 2023 that led to widespread disruption across UK airports, The Guardian reported.
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