Several major UK airports have experienced delays due to an air traffic control technical failure. The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) has identified the issue, but there is no certainty in whether air traffic will go back to normal today.
The national air traffic control service (NATS) warned in their latest statement on X: “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. We recognise the ongoing disruption to travel, for which we sincerely apologise.”
The statement continued: “Flights are still departing and airspace is open, but recovery will take some time. We will provide further updates as soon as possible.”
Heathrow Airport shared an update on its X account: “The air traffic control service is experiencing a technical issue which is impacting departing flights at UK airports. Arriving flights are not currently impacted. We are supporting our local NATS team in their efforts to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.” However, some passengers arriving at Heathrow reported knock-on disruption, including being kept on aircraft after landing.
Other airports such as Birmingham Airport and Jersey Airport have also issued statements, but neither NATS nor the airports have given a firm timeline for a return to normal operations.
According to the Financial Times, Eurocontrol – the organisation responsible for coordinating air traffic across Europe – warned that disruption to airspace over London, southern England and Wales could continue until 9pm on Tuesday.
Passengers should check the status of their flight directly with their airline and monitor the NATS website and X account for further updates.
UK airports reporting disruption include: