Over 120 Flights Cancelled Across UK After NATS Technical Glitch Disrupts Air Traffic Control

Major Flight Disruptions Hit UK Airports

Over 120 flights to and from UK airports were cancelled on Wednesday, July 31, 2025. The disruption stemmed from a technical fault at the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) control center in Swanwick, Hampshire. The glitch limited the number of aircraft allowed in London’s airspace, forcing cancellations and diversions across key airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Edinburgh.

The problem began around 4:00 PM GMT and lasted about 20 minutes. NATS quickly switched to a backup system, restoring operations shortly after. Despite this, delays and cancellations continued throughout the day.

Airlines Express Frustration Over Repeated Failures

Airline executives voiced strong criticism following the incident. Neal McMahon, COO of Ryanair, called for the resignation of NATS CEO Martin Rolfe. He said, “It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption.” McMahon pointed out that no lessons appeared to have been learned since a similar failure in August 2023.

David Morgan, COO of EasyJet, described the outage as “extremely disappointing” and emphasized the need for NATS to improve system reliability, especially during busy travel periods.

Government Responds and Investigation Underway

The UK Department for Transport confirmed that air traffic systems were fully operational by the evening, with normal flight capacity gradually returning. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced plans to meet NATS leadership to discuss the technical failure and review the resilience of air traffic control systems.

This marks the second major outage at NATS within two years, the previous one in August 2023 caused widespread delays affecting over 700,000 passengers.

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Cancelled Flights Impacted on Passengers and Travel Season

As of 7:30 PM GMT, Cirium data showed 67 departures and 55 arrivals cancelled nationwide. Many flights were also rerouted to alternate airports. The disruption affected thousands of travelers during the peak summer holiday period, resulting in mounting frustration among passengers and airline staff alike.

This technical fault has raised urgent questions about the robustness of the UK’s air traffic control infrastructure and the steps being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.