✈️ A technical failure in NATS’s flight-processing system disrupted departures across the UK on Tuesday, with more than 1,000 flights cancelled, according to flight-tracking data cited by news organisations.
NATS said it fixed the problem after almost four hours, but airlines and airports faced a large backlog. The disruption affected major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted.
The effects extended beyond the UK as aircraft and crews were left out of position and some flights elsewhere in Europe were affected. British Airways said the incident forced it to cancel or divert more than 100 flights. 🛫
NATS said the fault was different from major incidents in 2023 and 2025. The available reporting had not established the cause of the latest failure, while carriers warned that disruption would continue into Wednesday.