UK Air Traffic Control Glitch Cancels Nearly 1,100 Flights

Nearly 1,100 flights to and from UK airports were cancelled on Tuesday after a technical problem at Britain’s air traffic control service triggered widespread travel disruption.

By 8 pm local time, 1,055 flights had been cancelled, according to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24.

The UK’s air traffic control provider NATS said the technical issue had been resolved but warned that clearing the resulting backlog would take time.

“Our system issue is now resolved, we are operating normally and working as hard as possible to clear the backlog of flights,” NATS said on X, apologising for the disruption.

Major airports including Heathrow and Gatwick were affected, while Liverpool, Birmingham and Edinburgh also reported disruptions. Dublin Airport in Ireland said dozens of flights had been cancelled.

British Airways cancelled or diverted more than 100 flights, affecting tens of thousands of passengers, while Ryanair said more than 65,000 of its passengers had been disrupted and over 50 flights cancelled.

The disruption also affected Arsenal’s travel plans ahead of their Champions League match against Napoli in Italy on Wednesday, forcing the club to cancel a pre-match press conference after the team’s flight was delayed.

The latest incident follows a major technical failure in July last year that caused widespread cancellations and drew criticism from airline executives. In 2023, Britain experienced its worst air traffic systems failure in years, affecting more than 700,000 passengers.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was seeking assurances that lessons would be learned and that systems supporting the country’s aviation sector were fit for purpose.

Ryanair Chief Operating Officer Neal McMahon renewed calls for NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe to be removed, accusing the company of once again failing UK travellers and urging the government to intervene.