UK flights resume after air traffic failure, but knock-on delays persist
UK flights resume after a major air traffic control failure, but airports warn of continued disruption as airlines reposition aircraft and crew.
Flights from British airports resumed early Wednesday after a major air traffic control failure, but hubs cautioned that it would take time for operations to fully normalise. The hours-long shutdown on Tuesday led to the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights and left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded.
Transport Minister Heidi Alexander has summoned Martin Rolfe, the boss of air traffic control provider NATS, to explain what happened. In a post on X, Alexander said she was "seeking assurances that lessons will be learned and systems that support aviation are up to the job."
The outage comes three years after a similar system meltdown in August 2023, which cost airlines an estimated £100 million. A radar-related technical issue also disrupted flights in July 2025, affecting major airports including London's Heathrow.
Rolfe apologised to those affected and ruled out a cyberattack as the cause. He said he believed this issue would be different from previous outages. "I would say the UK has one of the best reputations in the world for its air traffic control service, both from a safety perspective and from a resilience perspective," he told the BBC, adding that his main focus was on safety.
Pressure is mounting on Rolfe. Ryanair has been calling for his resignation since 2023, and Yvonne Moynihan, managing director of Wizz Air in the UK, said he should consider his position. "I think in any industry when you have had three failures you need to consider, three strikes and you're out," she told the BBC.
As operations restarted, Heathrow advised passengers to check with their airline before heading to the airport, warning of "knock-on impacts as aircraft and crew reposition." London Gatwick also advised passengers to check with their airline first.
Ryanair said around 150,000 of its passengers were affected on Tuesday, with more than 200 flights cancelled. British Airways cancelled or diverted 100 flights, impacting tens of thousands of passengers.
NATS is a public-private partnership partially owned by airlines including British Airways and easyJet, pension funds, and the government.