UK air traffic control system suffers new failure causing widespread flight delays

On Monday, September 21, 2026, air traffic across the United Kingdom faced significant disruptions due to a connectivity issue at the NATS air traffic control centre in Prestwick, Scotland. Major airports including Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast, Gatwick, and London City reported delays or cancellations. NATS confirmed that while the issue caused immediate operational strain, it was entirely unrelated to the major software defect that grounded approximately 2,000 flights less than two weeks prior on September 8.

Transport Minister Heidi Alexander announced that the fault has been repaired and systems are currently resuming normal operations. Despite the fix, the incident has intensified pressure on the aviation industry, with Ryanair reporting that 25,000 of its passengers were affected by the delays. In response to recurring technical failures, several major airlines have renewed calls for the resignation of NATS Chief Executive Martin Rolfe. Minister Alexander indicated she is reviewing the leadership of the organization following these repeated infrastructure problems.