Latest on air traffic control crisis as delays expected to last for days

9 Sep 2026 • 4:51 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Latest on air traffic control crisis as delays expected to last for days

  • More than 1,300 flights to and from UK airports were cancelled on Tuesday following a major technical failure in the National Air Traffic Services flight processing system.
  • The system fault, which began at around 1pm on Tuesday, was resolved four hours later, but a further 279 cancellations were logged early on Wednesday at Heathrow and Gatwick.
  • Air traffic control provider NATS warned that clearing the backlog of flights could take hours, with knock-on travel disruption potentially lasting for several days.
  • NATS Chief Executive Martin Rolfe confirmed the issue was caused by a flight data processing system fault and categorically ruled out a cyber attack.
  • Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is set to meet NATS officials as an investigation into the root cause of the technical breakdown continues.

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