Thousands of passengers at airports including Heathrow and Gatwick are facing travel chaos due to a “technical issue” that grounded flights across the UK.
Departures were severely delayed because air-traffic chiefs said planes could not take off safely.
But about four hours after the disruption began, the National Air Traffic Control Service (Nats) said engineers had identified the problem and had fixed it.
However, it was not clear how long it would take for systems to return to normal after the widespread delays and cancellations.
A Nats spokesperson apologised for the delays and advised passengers to check with their airline before travelling to airports.
The worst affected airports were Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham, according to Flightradar24, which said approximately 4 per cent of UK flights had been cancelled or delayed as a result of the issue.
Ryanair and Wizz Air slammed Nats as “not fit for purpose”.
Some passengers were planning to spend the night in airports. One couple had their honeymoon flights cancelled.
Have you been affected by this story? Email jane.dalton@independent.co.uk
Key Points
- Recovery will take time, air-traffic chiefs warn after at least 400 flights grounded
- Air-traffic bosses say they have fixed problem
- Call for urgent reform of air-traffic control
- Full list of airports affected as major delays hit UK flights
- Cancelled or delayed flights: What are my rights to a refund?
Hotels around Heathrow 'fully booked'
20:35 , Jane DaltonA couple from Ohio were searching for overnight accommodation in the Heathrow area after finding hotels fully booked.
Priya Pandit said she would be more than 24 hours late to meet her family in Istanbul after her flight was cancelled.
The 26-year-old was travelling with 24-year-old Ishan Bhandari and they were due to arrive in the Turkish city on Wednesday morning but their flight was cancelled.
Ms Pandit said: “We got affected and our flight got cancelled.
“So we’re just looking for the accommodation because the hotels are all booked out.
“It’s a bummer that we couldn’t meet our family.”
The pair, from Ohio, are now flying to Amsterdam at 1pm tomorrow, with a four-hour stopover before their flight to Istanbul.
'Is there a maximum time limit we’re expected to sit here?' passengers ask
19:55 , Jane DaltonPassengers complained to British Airways on social media about the disruption.
One wrote: “Stuck on what was supposed to be the 1:20pm flight to JFK and a number of us would like to know what the policy is for either serving food and beverages or allowing passengers to get off the flight?
“Is there a maximum time limit we’re expected to sit here?”
Another said: “Hey @British_Airways — my 3.55pm flight from DUB > LCY has been delayed till 12.30am. At this point, I’d prefer to be booked on another flight later in the week. No staff to talk to here at Dublin, no communication. Anything you can do to help?”
Recovery taking 'longer than hoped' - Nats
19:46 , Harriette BoucherJournalist 'tries not to panic'
19:35 , Jane DaltonJulia Pobegailova, 29, was due to fly from Gatwick to Tel Aviv at around 1.30pm today.
The journalist, who works for an Israeli TV channel, said that after boarding the Wizz Air flight she sat on the runway for three hours before being informed it had been cancelled.
Ms Pobegailova told PA that Wizz Air’s next flight to Tel Aviv was not until Saturday.
“I’m just trying not to panic,” she added.
“I’m trying to figure out what to do and find a solution. There’s always a way, so it’s fine.”
Watch: The Independent staff stuck at airports amid widespread outages
19:27 , Harriette BoucherDisruption expected for rest of today at Manchester Airport
19:10 , Jane DaltonManchester Airport said it expected flight disruption to continue for the rest of the day.
ℹ️ Information for passengers - 08.09.26 | 6:00pm pic.twitter.com/VMSLSPy8nr
— Manchester Airport (@manairport) September 8, 2026
In pictures: Travel plans disrupted
18:55 , Jane Dalton
Minister wants lessons to be learnt from chaos
18:49 , Jane DaltonTransport secretary Heidi Alexander said she was seeking assurances that lessons would be learnt following the air-traffic-control issue.
Pleased @NATS have fixed the issue, and huge thanks to those working to get people moving.
It will take time to fully resume flights, so continue to check with airlines.
I am seeking assurances that lessons will be learned and systems that support aviation are up to the job.
Recovery will 'take time', air traffic chiefs warn
18:38 , Jane DaltonRecovery from disruptions to flights leaving the UK caused by the air-traffic-control issue will “take some time”, Nats has said, after more than 400 flights were cancelled.
Some 425 flights were cancelled to and from UK airports as of 5pm following the issue, flight-monitoring website Flightradar24 said.
Passengers have been advised to check the latest flight information with their airlines, while airports apologised for the disruption caused.
Nats, which provides air-traffic-control services to 15 UK airports, said it was “investigating a technical issue” causing disruption to some flight departures, and later said it had identified the problem was in its “flight processing system”.
BA cancels or diverts at least 100 flights
18:32 , Jane DaltonBritish Airways said it was forced to cancel or divert more than 100 of its flights on Tuesday following an air-traffic-control issue.
A spokesperson said: “While Nats has informed us that their air-traffic-control system fault has been resolved, the severity of the issue means there will be a significant knock-on impact for customers and colleagues.
“We were forced to cancel or divert more than 100 flights on Tuesday afternoon, inconveniencing tens of thousands of customers.
“This incident was entirely out of our control and incredibly frustrating for our customers and colleagues, with aircraft and crews ending up out of place.
“We ask customers whose flights have been cancelled not to travel to the airport and to bear with us if they’re trying to get in touch, as our call centres are incredibly busy at the moment.”
Full list of airports hit by chaos
18:22 , Jane Dalton
Full list of affected airports as flight chaos hits UK
Elderly people and families on Heathrow arrival flight kept on plane for five hours
18:17 , Jane DaltonPassengers contradicted Heathrow’s statement that incoming flights were unaffected.
Matt Ethan told The Independent his flight from Vancouver had been sitting on the tarmac for five hours, with elderly people and children on board.
“At what point does it become inhumane keeping passengers trapped on an aeroplane for that time after already travelling 8 hours overnight?
“As far as I know, there are a number of other arrivals that are stuck in the same position - so others have likely been trapped longer than us.
“The pilot and cabin crew are great of course, but there’s an issue when Nats officials are saying that ‘arrivals haven’t been affected’ but we have, because the departures are still on the stands we’re meant to be arriving at.
“There’s a lot of elderly people and small children on this flight. Where are the buses to come collect us? And why is no one keeping our pilot informed?”
Another passenger said their flight from San Francisco landed at 1.50 pm but the plane had been left sitting on the runway for four hours.
In pictures: Stranded passengers
18:07 , Jane Dalton
Honeymoon cancelled amid disruption
18:05 , Jane DaltonThe flights disruption has stopped at least one couple from going on honeymoon.
Marco Marcucci and his wife, Beatrice, married in July and waited until after the August rush to take their honeymoon.
They were due to fly from Milano Linate to San Francisco via Heathrow tomorrow morning but the flight was cancelled.
Mr Marcucci said his wife was angry as they had been planning their trip since February.
Plane to Shanghai turns back mid-flight
17:59 , Jane DaltonA British Airways plane from London to Shanghai has turned around and let passengers off at Cardiff, FlightRadar24 has said.
BA169 from Heathrow to Shanghai turned back due to a “technical issue” and diverted to Cardiff – a move likely to be caused by the air traffic fallout.
London area airports are being heavily impacted by the earlier NATS technical issue, likely unable to accommodate the diversion.
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) September 8, 2026
Call for urgent reform of air-traffic control
17:54 , Jane DaltonWizz Air called for urgent reform of the National Air Traffic Control Services.
“A critical national infrastructure provider should not repeatedly bring the aviation system to a standstill. Nats is simply not fit for purpose in its current form,” a spokesperson said.
“Airlines, passengers and airports cannot continue to bear the consequences of recurring system failures.”
Last July, a “radar-related issue” caused an air traffic control failure that grounded flights across the UK – disrupting thousands of passengers and forcing the cancellation of more than 160 flights.
The problem happened at Nats’ control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire, and affected the vast majority of England and Wales.
A government source said the failure lasted around 20 minutes, and the level of disruption was similar to a day with bad weather.
In August 2023, more than 700,000 passengers experienced disruption when flights were grounded at UK airports when Nats suffered a technical glitch while processing a flight plan.
A Nats spokeswoman said: “We have implemented a fix and our flight system is starting to recover.
“We are continuing to work closely with our airline and airport customers on recovery.
“We apologise sincerely for the disruption to people’s journeys today and they should continue to check with their airline.”
Arsenal Naples press conference cancelled amid chaos
17:49 , Jane DaltonAn Arsenal team pre-match press conference in Naples has been cancelled due to the disruption, because the team will not get there before 9.30pm at the earliest, writes Miguel Delaney at Gatwick.
“Im going on an Easyjet flight, and we ‘boarded’ but that was basically just into a barriered area where you take the shuttle.
“We have to keep showing our boarding pass to go back in and out to go to the toilet or get food,” he said.
Delays leave holidaymakers travelling overnight
17:41 , Jane DaltonSome flight delays of several hours will mean passengers travelling overnight once they reach their destinations.
Chris Knaggs, 67, was due to fly to Malaga from Gatwick at 7.10pm today but has found out his flight has been delayed until 11:45pm.
The retired government worker told the Press Association: “We had a message from EasyJet saying there’s going to be a delay and to wait for more information.”
Mr Knaggs, from south London, found out through the airline’s website about the delay, which is currently over four hours.
“If it gets much further on there’s a danger of it being cancelled,” he added.
Mr Knaggs said that once they arrive in Malaga, they will have to travel for three hours to reach their accommodation, meaning they likely won’t arrive until around 7am on Wednesday.
Couple set to stay at airport overnight
17:38 , Jane DaltonKatherina Wilken, who was due to be flying back from Heathrow to Dusseldorf in Germany with her partner on Tuesday, said she started to panic when at 3pm she had no gate information for her flight scheduled for 2.45pm, which was said to be delayed until 3.25pm.
The 26-year-old said she and her partner were now due to leave Heathrow at around 7am on Wednesday.
“We waited a long time because the display only said delayed for a long time and then that didn’t change,” she said.
“Then we started to question staff.”
She added: “It’s way too stressful to stay in a hotel miles away, we will probably stay here (at the airport) tonight.”
Bristol Airport flights disrupted
17:27 , Jane DaltonFlights at Bristol Airport have also been affected by the technical issue.
A spokesperson said: “There is disruption to flights across the UK due to a technical issue with National Air Traffic Services, which is affecting flights at Bristol Airport.
“We recommend passengers travelling today contact their airline directly to check the latest flight information and prior to leaving for the airport.”
Passengers on plane for five hours 'cold, hungry and frustrated'
17:26 , Jane DaltonPassengers on board a different flight to New York that has been delayed for five hours said they were “freezing cold”, hungry and frustrated.
Kate keogh told The Independent she boarded the aircraft at 12.20pm, for a 1.05pm take-off.
“At 4.49pm we are still on the plane waiting at the gate,” she said.
“The door has been open for over two hours and the plane is freezing cold.
“Only at 3.30pm did they offer water and pretzels. They have started service for cold drinks and snacks with no hot food available - and making everyone pay for it despite being on board for nearly 5 hours.
“We haven’t been given any updates whatsoever. After 2 hours the captain just told us he has no updates - which is a pointless announcement.
“Everyone on board is hungry, cold and extremely frustrated. The way we have been treated is appalling.”
Heathrow eerily quiet
17:20 , Jane DaltonHeathrow Airport was eerily quiet this afternoon after the string of cancellations.
One passenger who waited on a plane for four hours before the flight to New York JFK was cancelled said “the entire cabin groaned” when the announcement came.
Rhian Lubin, a senior US reporter for The Independent, said: “My flight from Heathrow to New York JFK was just minutes from takeoff at around midday when we were told of a delay due to a technical issue with air traffic control.
At 12.45 passengers on the British Airways flight said it would be the first to leave once the issue was fixed.
“Four hours later, still on the plane, the captain's voice came on the tannoy and told us he was very sorry but our flight was cancelled. The entire cabin groaned,” she said.
“I was back to the same spot I was in at 8am this morning, when I'd already battled the Elizabeth Line's severe delays.
“Terminal 5 is now strangely quiet. The airport is completely shut down with no flights taking off as those of us who have been stranded wait in a long line for what, I'm not sure.
“British Airways agents have told passengers flying to European destinations to go home and try again tomorrow.
“Long-haul flights are being prioritised but there is no sign of movement in the departures hall. And no one, including staff, seems to have any idea what's going on.”
Flights from Jersey, Belfast and Aberdeen all disrupted
17:10 , Jane DaltonBirmingham Airport said the issue hit air space in the south of the UK and “a significant number of departing flights across the country”.
Heathrow Airport, the UK’s largest airport, said arriving flights were “currently not affected” on Tuesday afternoon.
Manchester Airport Group, which operates Manchester Airport, Stansted Airport in Essex and East Midlands Airport in Leicestershire, said flights from all three had been hit by the issue.
Jersey Airport in the Channel Islands, London City Airport, London Southend, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Southampton and Belfast airports said they were also experiencing some disruption.
Cancellations set to still rise before falling
17:06 , Jane DaltonApproximately 4% of UK flights have been cancelled or delayed as a result of the air- traffic-control issue, FlightRadar24 says.
Ian Petchenik of FlightRadar24 said: “It’s going to be major disruption, not necessarily based on cancellations alone, but certainly cancellations and delays including connecting flights.
The 4% statistic is “certainly much higher than normal but overall isn’t a huge impact on operations quite yet”.
“I think we will start to see a further wave of cancellations. It sounds like Nats has resolved the issue but once the damage has been done it takes a little time to unwind, so I think we’ll start to see cancellations increase for a while then decrease,” he added.
“(Airlines) will make a decision on which flights are best to operate and which flights might not be the best to operate on getting the largest number of passengers through the system.”
Flight-processing system fault blamed
16:56 , Jane DaltonAir-traffic-control bosses say they identified that the issue was in their flight-processing system.
ℹ️ Technical issue
— NATS (@NATS) September 8, 2026
We have implemented a fix and our flight system is starting to recover. We are continuing to work closely with our airline and airport customers on recovery. (1/2) https://t.co/MEDLS3UUWT
Recovery will take time, air bosses warn
16:54 , Jane DaltonAir-traffic-control bosses say flights are still departing and airspace is open, but recovery will take some time.
“Passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline,” they said.
Air-traffic chiefs say they have fixed problem
16:52 , Jane DaltonAir-traffic-control chiefs say they have identified the problem and implemented a fix, nearly four hours after the chaos began.
“Our engineers are on site and working urgently to resume normal operations as quickly as possible,” they said.
“We recognise the ongoing disruption to travel, for which we sincerely apologise.”
Ryanair calls on Nats chief to quit
16:49 , Jane DaltonRyanair is calling on the head of the National Air Traffic System to quit after a “catastrophic” system collapse in 2023.
The Irish airline said 65,000 of its passengers were hit by the glitch.
Ryanair chief operating officer Neal McMahon said: “How many more failures do passengers have to suffer before Martin Rolfe accepts responsibility for repeated mismanagement and resigns?
“Over three years after Nats’ catastrophic 2023 system meltdown, it’s clear that nothing has changed, with UK passengers once again suffering avoidable ATC delays of up to 8 hours today due a critical system failing.”
The Independent has asked Nats to respond.
The airports hit by delays and cancellations
16:39 , Jane DaltonAbout 200 take-offs cancelled so far
16:37 , Jane DaltonAround 200 flights have been cancelled as a result of the UK air traffic control issue, FlightRadar24 has said.
The worst affected airports are Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham.
The air tracker found 352 flights to and from Heathrow were delayed out of its daily average of about 1,300.
Meanwhile, 281 Gatwick flights were delayed out of its 850 total operations average.
This was 249 out of 650 for Manchester, and 101 out of 300 for Birmingham.
Heathrow and Gatwick departures hit - ranked by airline
16:32 , Jane Dalton
Air traffic chiefs deny suffering cyber-attack
16:25 , Jane DaltonOne passenger told The Independent that the pilot of her plane had told her there had been a cyber-attack on air-traffic control.
But the National Air Traffic Control Services said this was not the case.
Nicola Duckett, who was in a plane waiting at Palma, said she had been given the information by the pilot.
But a Nats spokeswoman said: “At the moment we have no evidence to suggest it’s a cyber-attack.”
FlightRadar pictures show flights grounded at Heathrow and Gatwick
16:10 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Departures from East Midlands airport on hold
16:10 , Jane DaltonMost UK airports appear affected by the technical issue.
An East Midlands Airport spokesperson said: “The air traffic control service, NATS, is experiencing technical issues which is delaying departures from UK airports including East Midlands. “
All departures from East Midlands Airport are suspended but arrivals are unaffected.
“Passengers are asked to contact their airlines for further updates,” they said.
Watch: Flights grounded at UK airports including Heathrow due to air traffic control glitch
16:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRecovery 'will take some time', air traffic control bosses warn
15:56 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRecovery from an issue with the flight processing system this afternoon “will take some time”, air traffic control bosses have warned.
A new statement from Nats said: “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.
“Flights are still departing and airspace is open, but recovery will take some time. We will provide further updates as soon as possible.
“Passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline. We will provide further updates as soon as we have confirmed information, at www.nats.aero and on X at @NATS.”
Passengers returning to airport from grounded planes amid disruption
15:52 , Nicole Wootton-CanePassengers are abandoning planes and returning to the terminal at London Luton as disruption continues.
Customers on the ground told The Independent passengers are being provided with buses back to the terminal amid uncertainty over how long disruption could last.
British Airways confirms disruption over air traffic control issue
15:50 , Nicole Wootton-CaneBritish Airways has confirmed its flights are disrupted this afternoon.
“We're currently experiencing disruption as a result of a technical issue affecting air traffic control, which is run by National Air Traffic Control Services,” it said in a statement.
“This is out of our control and our teams are working hard to get your travel plans back on track as quickly as possible.”
London Heathrow 'unavailable for arrivals'
15:47 , Nicole Wootton-CaneLondon Heathrow has now been listed as “unavailable for arrivals” between 2pm and 4pm, with inbound flights being held or diverted, according to FlightRadar24.
Eurocontrol now lists London-Heathrow as unavailable for arrivals between 1400-1600 UTC. Inbound flights currently holding or diverting. https://t.co/TEHf2kJO23 pic.twitter.com/i5vhyxZPzN
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) September 8, 2026
Cancelled or delayed flights: What are my rights to a refund?
15:45 , Nicole Wootton-CanePassengers at major UK airports including Heathrow and Gatwick have been plunged into chaos after a “technical issue” grounded a number of flights.
Departures are experiencing long delays on Tuesday afternoon after an air control issue left planes unable to take off safely.
As hundreds of thousands of travellers head off on trips, it’s important to know your rights as an air passenger in the event of flight cancellations and delays.
You can read all you need to know below:
Cancelled or delayed flights: What are my rights to a refund?
Full list of airports affected as major delays hit UK flights
15:41 , Nicole Wootton-CaneHere is the full list of airports who have confirmed they are affected by this afternoon’s air traffic control issue:
• London Heathrow
• London Gatwick
• Stansted Airport
• Manchester Airport
• Birmingham Airport
• Belfast City Airport
• Edinburgh Airport
• Aberdeen Airport
• Glasgow Airport
• Southampton Airport
• East Midlands Airport
• Jersey Airport
'We're not going anywhere soon', grounded passenger says
15:32 , Nicole Wootton-CaneSpeaking to The Independent, one passenger who is currently stuck at Luton Airport said it “doesn’t look like we are going anywhere soon”.
The man said he is on a plane that was about to take off after a significant delay, when air traffic control told the pilot they could not leave.
He said a tannoy announcement made to passengers said the “whole London airspace” is affected.
“We were told we were next in line, but have now taxied back to park in front of a hangar,” he said.
“It doesn’t look like we are going anywhere soon.”
Delays also impacting Manchester and Edinburgh airports
15:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneDelays are impacting airports across London and the UK, including Heathrow, Manchester, and Edinburgh.
In a statement posted on X, Manchester Airport said the Nats issue may cause delays to some departing flights.
The statement said: “We are aware of an issue affecting Nats’ air traffic control service at UK airports, which may result in delays to some departing flights from Manchester Airport today.
“Passengers due to travel are advised to check the latest status of their flight with their airline.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and share further updates as more information becomes available.”
Edinburgh Airport said it was aware the technical issue affecting air traffic control service Nats “may impact operations”.
A post on X said: “We are aware of a technical issue affecting @NATS which may impact operations. We are working closely with air traffic control, airlines and other partners, and hope @NATS can resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Chaos could continue until this evening
15:26 , Nicole Wootton-CaneChaos at the UK’s airports could spill into this evening after an air control issue left a number of flights grounded, according to FlightRadar24.
In a post on X, the flight tracking platform said Eurocontrol currently suggests normal traffic may not return until 8pm.
⚠️ Arrivals and departures are being heavily regulated at airports in the London EGTT FIR due to ATC equipment issues. Eurocontrol lists 2000 UTC as expected return to normal traffic. pic.twitter.com/LOkXMgo1NE
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) September 8, 2026
What have the major airports said?
15:23 , Nicole Wootton-CaneHeathrow Airport confirmed it has been affected by the onging air traffic control issue this afternoon.
In a statement it said: “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.
“We will provide updated information when we have it. We apologise to those disrupted and advise passengers to check with their airline for latest flight information.”
A spokesperson for Gatwick told the MailOnline: “We are aware of a NATS technical issue that is currently affecting a number of UK airports, including London Gatwick.
“Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for more information regarding their flights.”
London Luton is also reported to be affected.
Air traffic control investigating 'technical issue'
15:20 , Nicole Wootton-CaneAir traffic control is investigating a “technical issue” affecting London’s airports on Tuesday afternoon, according to the national air traffic control service (NATS).
In a post on X it wrote: “We are investigating a technical issue which is causing some disruption to flight departures. Our engineers are on site and we will provide an update as soon as we can.
“We apologise for the delay this will cause to journeys, passengers should check with their airline on the status of their flight. We will provide updates on https://nats.aero.”
ℹ️ Technical issue
— NATS (@NATS) September 8, 2026
We are investigating a technical issue which is causing some disruption to flight departures. Our engineers are on site and we will provide an update as soon as we can. (1/2)
Flights grounded at multiple London airports
15:18 , Nicole Wootton-CaneFlights are understood to be grounded at multiple London airports this afternoon.
Heathrow has confirmed it is impacted by the ongoing issue with air traffic control, while Gatwick and Luton are also reported to be affected.
We’ll bring you all the latest in this blog.
