Overview
- A fault in NATS’s flight‑processing system caused widespread restrictions on departing flights at UK airports on Tuesday, triggering hundreds to more than 1,000 cancellations and many further delays.
- Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham were among the worst hit as airlines and flight trackers reported tens of thousands of passengers affected and mass rebooking for cancelled services.
- NATS implemented a fix and said operations are returning to normal, but the operator warned that clearing the backlog of out‑of‑position aircraft and crews will take many hours and disruption is likely to continue into the next day.
- NATS and government officials stressed safety was not compromised and the CEO said the root cause is not yet fully known, with the Civil Aviation Authority and ministers seeking a full incident report and resilience assurances.
- Passengers should check with airlines for rebooking and compensation options and expect ongoing delays at affected airports while airlines and airports manage stranded travellers and reposition aircraft.