A number of Heathrow and Gatwick are flights are cancelled on Thursday, although the flight disruption that caused chaos for hundreds of thousands of passengers is easing.
Technical issues with air traffic control systems have caused more than 2,000 flights arriving or departing the UK to be cancelled since Tuesday.
The disruption is lessening as flight schedules return to normal, although Martin Rolfe, the chief executive of National Air Traffic Services (Nats), is facing calls to resign.
As of 4pm, 55 flights at Heathrow were cancelled - 34 arrivals and 21 departures, according to flight tracker Flightradar24. Its showed 12 flights at Gatwick as cancelled.
Follow the latest updates below...
At a glance
- How long will Heathrow and Gatwick flights chaos last?
- Air traffic boss on £1.5m-a-year dodges 'resign' questions amid UK flights meltdown inquest
- What are your rights if your flight is cancelled?
- In pictures: Chaos at airports as disruption continues
- Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander says she believes air traffic control problems were not 'unavoidable'
Over 50 Heathrow flights cancelled today
20:10 , Matt Watts
The latest tally from flight tracker Flightradar24 shows 59 arrivals and departures were cancelled at Heathrow today, as the knock-on effect of the air traffic control issues on Tuesday continues to have an effect.
But major flight disruption that caused chaos for hundreds of thousands of passengers has eased, as airports said their operations have returned to normal.
A technical issue at National Air Traffic Services (Nats) caused more than 2,000 flights arriving or departing the UK to be cancelled following the fault on Tuesday.
After disruption continued on Wednesday at some airports as airlines dealt with knock-on impacts, Heathrow, London Stansted, Manchester and Gatwick all said Thursday’s operations are set to continue as normal.
When will we get an explanation for the technical failure?
17:41 , Megan Howe
The head of air traffic control provider Nats has been given a week to explain the technical failure that grounded thousands of flights, with the transport secretary saying she does not believe the disruption was “unavoidable”.
This will pile pressure onto Nats chief executive, Martin Rolfe, despite Downing Street saying the government still had confidence in him after a morning meeting with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.
More reaction to Heathrow 'operating as normal'
15:43 , Tom Place
More passengers have reacted angrily to Heathrow Airport’s post on X which claimed that the site was “operating as normal today”.
One person wrote: “No - we were in Heathrow for the entire nightmare. Sat on a plane for 4 hours. Stayed in the airport on the floor for 28 hours. No extra staff helping people. No airlines advising people what to do. No food or water available. It was a complete failure.”
Another said: “So waiting for coaches for 45 minutes and now waiting for cases over 75 minutes after landing is normal service? You really set yourself a high level to achieve if this is normal.”
'An embarrassment for Britain'
14:44 , Tom Place
Speaking in the Commons, shadow transport minister Greg Smith said that disruption at Heathrow Airport is an “embarrassment for Britain” and an “absolute mess”,
Transport minister Keir Mather said in response that disruption to those travelling “raises really serious questions about contingency planning and resilience planning at our airports”.
National Rail offers advice for those affected by ATC cancellations
14:11 , Tom Place
National Rail is offering flexibility to ticket holders who have been affected by airline disruption due to the recent air traffic outage.
Passengers affected by a flight cancellation or amendment and have a train ticket dated Tuesday September 8 or Wednesday 9 September can use their original train ticket on the new date for which their flight has been rebooked.
Customers have been told they can also use their existing ticket to return home on the same day in the event of a flight cancellation if they have already commenced your journey.
Customers must show their airline ticket when using their ticket at an alternative time or on an alternative date.
A fee-free refund within 28 days of date of travel has also been offered if passengers no longer travel, for abandoned journeys or for your original rail ticket if you had to purchase a new one because of a flight diversion.
Heathrow Airport gets angry response as it says it is 'operating as normal'
13:31 , Matt Watts
Heathrow Airport said it is “operating as normal today” in a post on X, sparking an angry response from those who have been affected by the flight meltdown in recent days.
In the post on X the airport said airport systems are functioning as expected.
But it warned while the vast majority of flights are operating as scheduled, there may still be some changes to airline timetables.
“We know the knock-on effects of Tuesday’s disruption have been frustrating, and we thank those affected for their patience,” the post added.
“Passengers should check with their airline for the latest flight information before travelling to Heathrow.”
The post was quickly met with angry reponses. One person wrote: “This is not true. Arrived T5 at midnight last night and had to wait nearly 1 hour on the plane for buses to take us from stand to terminal. Carnage in baggage hall with crowds eventually informed (via email from their airline) to leave without their cases & hope for delivery.”
Another wrote: “ Supporting recovery??? We landed at midnight last night. Had to wait 25 mins for a gate, 35 mins for a jetty because there was no one available to move it. Then our bags were not unloaded as the handlers went home earlier. You need a contingency plan for after hours situations.”
Following Tuesday's technical issue affecting @NATS air traffic control, Heathrow is operating as normal today and our airport systems are functioning as expected.
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) September 10, 2026
We continue to work closely with airlines to support their recovery, and while the vast majority of flights are… pic.twitter.com/dz9oIn8IRR
Airports continue to recover
12:38 , Tom Place
A London Stansted spokeswoman said the airport was back to normal, with flights due to arrive and depart as scheduled on Thursday.
Gatwick has also said that operations at its airport have “returned to normal” following Tuesday’s air traffic control incident.
Outside the capital, a spokesperson for Manchester Airport advised passengers on Thursday morning to prepare to travel as normal.
BA expects 'normal schedule' later today
11:42 , Tom Place
British Airways has said it expects to “operate a normal schedule” on Thursday following disruption caused by an air traffic control issue.
This morning, the company said: “Our teams have been working hard following Tuesday’s air traffic control outage and we expect to operate a normal schedule on Thursday.
“We know this issue has been very challenging for our customers, and we thank them for their patience while we’ve worked to get them to where they need to be.”
Customers who were scheduled to fly today but no longer wish to travel can move their flight for free up until Sunday September 13, the airline said.
Bride stranded en route to her own wedding amid airline travel chaos
11:02 , Tom Place
A bride-to-be is one of the passengers who has found themselves stranded amid the flight disruption this week.
You can follow her story here:
Ryanair boss reiterates call for Rolfe to step down
10:44 , Tom Place
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has repeated his calls for the chief executive of National Air Traffic Services (NATS) to step down before the airline’s annual general meeting.
Speaking to reporters in Dublin on Thursday morning, Mr O’Leary said of NATS’ Martin Rolfe: “He keeps hiding behind safety.
“You know, you can’t run a safe airspace by grounding every aircraft. You know, it’s nonsense, so we think he should go.”
He added: “But then, it’s 49% owned by the UK Government, and they’re clearly trying to protect him.
“It is beyond my comprehension how the guy who has visited three collapses on UK ATC (air traffic control) is asked to do the investigation into his own screw-ups. So we think he should be sacked and somebody competent brought in to do the job.”
BA calls for 'improved resilience in aviation'
10:27 , Tom Place
Following this week’s disruption, British Airways (BA) has said it has “long made the case for improved resilience in aviation” and issues raised by the system failure need “to be addressed as a matter of urgency”.
A BA spokesperson said: “We’ve heard reassurances before, but then we’re faced with issues like this yet again.
“Our customers and colleagues are tired of dealing with these issues, time after time. This needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.”
Gatwick Express issues
10:08 , Tom Place
Exacerbating the issues at Gatwick Airport this morning, a safety inspection of the track in the Earlswood area means that some trains running between Purley and Gatwick Airport may be delayed.
The disruption is expected until around 11:30am, affecting Gatwick Express services as well as a number of Southern and Thameslink trains.
Transport Secretary: ATC issue was 'not unavoidable'
09:56 , Tom Place
On Wednesday afternoon, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told MPs that she did not believe the air traffic control issue was “unavoidable”.
Addressing the Commons, she said: “A four-hour air traffic outage yesterday left hundreds of thousands of passengers facing cancellations, diversions and delays.
“I would like to apologise wholeheartedly to passengers for this disruption.
“We often take for granted the way in which our aviation system just works, but yesterday that was not the case.
“Safety must remain air traffic controllers’ overriding priority, and this morning I have spoken to NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe, who informed me this outage was due to a technical issue at their Swanwick site.
“So, while my understanding from NATS is that we can rule out a cyber attack on this occasion, I do not believe this issue was unavoidable.
“We also spoke this morning about how NATS responded to resolve and minimise the disruption as quickly as possible, and I am grateful to the airports and airlines who responded straight away.”
Ms Alexander said she had asked the CAA to conduct an independent review into the incident, which is due to report to her within six months.
NATS has also said a full investigation will be conducted into the issue.
Heathrow advises passengers to check before travelling
09:37 , Tom Place
Heathrow Airport has said it is working to “ensure the majority of flights operate as normal” but advised passengers to check for the latest information before travelling to the airport.
A spokesperson for the west London airport said on Thursday morning: “Following Tuesday’s technical issue affecting NATS (National Air Traffic Services) air traffic control, we continue to work closely with airlines to ensure the majority of flights operate as normal, although there may still be some changes to schedules.
“We know the knock-on effects of Tuesday’s disruption have been frustrating, and we thank those affected for their patience.
“We advise passengers to check with their airline for the latest flight information before travelling to Heathrow.”
Which flights are cancelled at Gatwick and Heathrow?
09:20 , Niva Yadav
Dozens more flights have been cancelled on Thursday after an air traffic issue earlier this week.
Tens of thousands of passengers continue to be impacted by the disruption.
Things are starting to get back to normal, but a number of flights are still facing cancellation or revision.
You can read the full story here:
Which flights are cancelled at Heathrow and Gatwick today?
In photos: Heathrow and Gatwick aviation chaos
09:10 , Niva Yadav
A technical issue on Tuesday has resulted in chaos across London airports with hundreds of take-offs and landings halted.
Here’s a recap of the last three days in pictures:
Gatwick gets back on its feet
09:00 , Niva Yadav
Operations at Gatwick Airpot are largely back to normal, the airport has reported on social media.
That said, a number of flights flying into Gatwick have been cancelled, correct as of 8:45am.
Passengers are still being advised to check with airline for the latest information on flights before heading to the airport.
Following on from the technical issue at NATS, which impacted UK airports, we can confirm that operations at London Gatwick have returned largely to normal, although a small number of residual delays may still occur.
— London Gatwick LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) September 9, 2026
We would like to thank passengers for their patience during… pic.twitter.com/zfZ3LmK2Ll
How long will Heathrow and Gatwick flight chaos?
08:50 , Niva Yadav
Experts are warning that disruption to flights isn’t over just yet.
While holidaymakers are undoubtedly keen for things to return to normal, the “complex recovery” could see several passengers struggling to reach their final destination.
You can find out how long the disruption will last here:
How long will Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted flights chaos last?
British Airways forced to cancel nearly 550 flights
08:42 , Niva Yadav
The most recent figures reveal that British Airways has been forced to cancel nearly 550 flights since the aviation blunder on Tuesday - impacting 85,000 customers.
A total of 349 flights were axed on Tuesday, with another 200 cancelled on Wednesday. A total of 17 journeys were diverted to other airports.
Today’s outlook is slightly brighter than previous days, but dozens of flights are still facing disruption.
Fraudsters trying to exploit stranded passengers
08:28 , Niva Yadav
Holidaymakers Geoff and Janina McBride warned people about a scam that NatWest fortunately rescued them from.
The McBrides, from Hampshire, were trying to travel to Lisbon and then on to the Azores to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary – but their flight was cancelled.
Former government nanotechnology scientist Mr McBride, 63, told PA they called a phone number on what they thought was the official BA website.
A fraudster pretending to work for the airline tried to offer them alternative flights from London City, Gatwick or Heathrow airports and via Munich.
The false flights were about £600 each, but the payments to him were not going through.
His wife, 64, called NatWest to ask why and they told her “get off the phone to them immediately”, Mr McBride said.
His card was blocked and the payments cancelled, he added, telling PA: “What do you do when you’re in a drama?
“I’m very well-versed in cybersecurity, but it’s that one click, isn’t it?
“And it looked legitimate, proper, he sounded proper, he was going through all the different flights, had all the details, so he can pull that off the internet and speak to me down the phone, credit card details – so I was lucky, very lucky.”
Mr McBride added: “We were in a panic – that’s when they get you.”
Calls for Martin Rolfe to resign
08:20 , Niva Yadav
Calls have been rife for Martin Rolfe to resign following this week’s chaos.
The chief executive of National Air Traffic Services (Nats) has been at the helm of two other system failures since assuming the role in 2015.
As it stands, he has not ruled out a resignation and is facing calls from executives at Ryanair and Wizz Air to step down.
Will I be entitled to compensation?
08:09 , Niva Yadav
The Civil Aviation Authority, which is conducting an independent review, has told those impacted that the “disruption caused by the Nats outage is likely to be considered the result of ‘extraordinary circumstances’ under passenger rights rules.”
This means that passengers are unlikely to be entitled to compensation for delays or cancellations.
Passengers across more than 2,000 flights in and out of the UK are likely to be affected.
Best to contact airline, say Heathrow
07:46 , Niva Yadav
Heathrow Airport has advised that customers should contact their airline to query if they are experiencing any delays.
Flights have resumed, however.
Dozens more flights cancelled
07:44 , Niva Yadav
As of 7.15am, 25 flights at Heathrow were cancelled - 19 arrivals and six departures. At Gatwick, four flights appeared to be cancelled.
At Heathrow, British Airways appears to be the most affected airline flying in and out of the capital.
Good morning
07:38 , Niva Yadav
A number of Heathrow and Gatwick flights are cancelled this morning as we move into the third day of flight disruption.
Technical issues with air traffic control systems on Thursday have led to more than 2,000 flights being cancelled, while the repercussions continue to take their toll on flight schedules.
We’ll bring you the latest updates as Heathrow and Gatwick airports scramble to get back on track.
Coverage suspended for the day
Wednesday 9 September 2026 22:30 , Megan Howe
Our coverage on the major disruption at UK airports has been suspended for the day.
Check back tomorrow for the latest updates.
More than 350 outbound flights were cancelled or did not fly today, according to Cirium
Wednesday 9 September 2026 19:05 , Megan Howe
A total of 357 outbound flights have been cancelled or did not fly today, aviation analytics firm Cirium has said.
However, it did say cancellations appear to be slowing now.
More than 2,000 flights have been impacted altogether.
Here’s a breakdown by airport:
- Heathrow - 209
- Gatwick - 14
- Manchester - 14
- Stansted - 1
- Edinburgh - 14
- Luton - 14
- Birmingham - 3
- Bristol - 9
- Glasgow - 12
- London City - 6
Passengers respond to news they might not be entitled to compensation
Wednesday 9 September 2026 18:42 , Megan Howe
One passenger wrote on social media: “Can't believe Ryanair won't offer compensation on our flight from Nice to Stansted which was delayed by 4 HOURS
“It was caused by air-traffic control issues, but a delay of 4 hours significantly impacts other travel plans/bookings at the arrival end.
“Surely that's not right?’
Passengers 'unlikely to be entitled to compensation' says Civil Aviation Authority
Wednesday 9 September 2026 18:34 , Megan Howe
Hundreds of thousands of passengers hit by the flights chaos in Britain are unlikely to be able to get compensation, the CAA has said.
They might have expected to get payouts of £520 for delays to their journeys.
But airlines are unlikely to have to pay out as the incident is expected to be put down to the result of ‘extraordinary circumstances’ under passenger rights rules.
A UK Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson said: “We know many passengers have faced significant disruption and frustration following the NATS system issue on Tuesday, 8 September, and we understand the impact this has had on their travel plans.
“As part of our established regulatory framework, NATS will be providing a technical report on the incident shortly. In addition, the Government has asked the UK Civil Aviation Authority to carry out an independent review of the disruption to establish what happened and consider how well NATS is set up to deliver a resilient service in the future.
“In the meantime, we have reminded airlines of their responsibilities to look after passengers whose flights have been delayed or cancelled. We consider that disruption caused by the NATS outage is likely to be considered the result of ‘extraordinary circumstances’ under passenger rights rules. This means that although passengers should be looked after by airlines, they are unlikely to be entitled to compensation for delays or cancellations that were directly caused by the incident.”
'We queued for two hours for BA to tell us they couldn't help'
Wednesday 9 September 2026 17:38 , Megan Howe
An American family caught up in the travel disruption today said they joined a queue to speak to a member of staff about the status of their flight, only to be told the customer service staff there couldn’t help.
"There were really long lines for an information booth that we stood in for a couple of hours and when we got up in the front they finally said they can't help you when you get there,” father Bob Sehl said.
The family’s Santorini to Heathrow flight was originally diverted to Stansted, which doesn't operate BA.
This meant that at 2.30am, more than 10 hours after landing, they had to travel to Heathrow to try and continue their homeward journey to Connecticut.
The family say they now face a night sleeping on Heathrow’s floor as all the local hotels have been booked up.
Heathrow passenger says it is 'nerve-racking' waiting in departures without a gate number
Wednesday 9 September 2026 17:20 , Megan Howe
An American woman has said it is “nerve-racking” to wait in departures without a gate number after her planned route to Warsaw was cancelled.
Jennifer Jones, 69, is on a layover at Heathrow from Phoenix, Arizona, and said: “(We) had to wait on the plane for the bus to come get us because everybody was trying to get on the buses, so we finally got on the bus and got inside, and it was chaos because everybody’s flights were cancelled, and by the time we figured out ‘well, I’m going to have to stay the night’, the hotels were all booked.”
She landed at about 3pm, found a hostel that she arrived at at about 9pm, and then returned to Heathrow at 2.30am “hoping to get another flight so I don’t miss any flights to Warsaw”.
Perched on a luggage trolley, Ms Jones, who has had her trip to Warsaw with her friends booked for about a year, added: “In the States you go to the airport and you just take your boarding pass and go through security and go to your gate and then you sit there and guard your plane, you know, and here you don’t even have a gate assignment so you can’t get through security yet – that’s a little nerve-racking.”
Airlines UK write to transport secretary about 'serious concerns' following technical issue
Wednesday 9 September 2026 17:00 , Megan Howe
Airlines UK has written to the Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP, to register serious concerns over yesterday’s technical failure at NATS.
It marks the third major system failure in three years which has caused major disruption across the UK’s aviation network.
Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK, said: “The latest NATS failure has again exposed a gap in the UK’s aviation regulatory framework. Airlines are expected, in supporting passengers, to absorb the costs of disruption, even when the cause lies entirely outside their control.
“The result is a system where airlines pick up the bill for the mistakes of others, while the organisations responsible face little or no financial consequence. Accountability should sit where responsibility lies and the Civil Aviation Bill offers the opportunity to address this.”
BA says issues raised by the system failure need 'to be addressed as a matter of urgency'
Wednesday 9 September 2026 16:50 , Megan Howe
British Airways said it has “long made the case for improved resilience in aviation” and issues raised by the system failure need “to be addressed as a matter of urgency”.
A spokesperson said: “We’ve heard reassurances before, but then we’re faced with issues like this yet again.
“Our customers and colleagues are tired of dealing with these issues, time after time. This needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
“Over the coming days, we’ll continue doing everything we can until every affected customer is on their way.”
BA staff volunteered to work at its call centres and flying operations, and on Wednesday the airline plans to operate a full long-haul programme out of Heathrow and a full operation from Gatwick, it is understood.
Nearly 500 flights cancelled by British Airways due to technical issue
Wednesday 9 September 2026 16:42 , Megan Howe
Tuesday’s air traffic control issue forced British Airways to cancel nearly 550 flights – affecting 85,000 of its customers.
A total of 349 were axed on Tuesday and a further 200 cancelled on Wednesday. The airline diverted 17 journeys to different airports.
A BA spokesperson said: “Since yesterday, we’ve rebooked more than 60,000 customers to travel on alternative flights, getting them to their destinations as quickly as we can.
“Today, we’ve been able to operate almost 80% of our schedule across our whole network.
“We know this has been a very challenging and frustrating time for our customers, and we’re incredibly sorry for the experience they’ve endured because of an issue that has been entirely out of our control.
“The scale and challenge of dealing with the aftermath of an event like this is severe and complex.
“What this and previous disruption events highlight is the enormous impact customers suffer when one part of the aviation system fails.”
More than 250 flights cancelled at Heathrow on Wednesday
Wednesday 9 September 2026 16:41 , Megan Howe
London’s airports were the hardest-hit by the air traffic control glitch on Tuesday, suffering the highest volume of ground stop orders, delays and flight cancellations.
Thousands of passengers have been affected by the issue, with many reporting hours-long delays.
As of 4pm on Wednesday, the number delays and cancellations at Heathrow and Gatwick were as follows, according to FlightRadar:
Heathrow
Departures: 83
Arrivals: 168
Gatwick
Departures: 2
Arrivals: 32
Just over 2,000 flights impacted by the technical issue
Wednesday 9 September 2026 16:15 , Megan Howe
A total of 2,093 flights have been affected by the Nats technical issue since Tuesday, according to Cirium.
The figure represents 5.91 per cent of the 5,869 scheduled flights.
A normal day is between one and two per cent.
Heidi Alexander has asked the Civil Aviation Authority to investigate the outage
Wednesday 9 September 2026 16:06 , Megan Howe
Ms Alexander vowed to leave “no stone unturned’ and has asked the CAA to investigate the technical glitch which saw hundreds of flights cancelled and delayed.
"I do think we need to ask tough questions about the resilience of NATS' systems,” the transport secretary added.
“We need to ask questions about progress with planned upgrades and I think we also need to think about consumer redress issues as well."
Flights from Heathrow continue to be delayed this afternoon
Wednesday 9 September 2026 16:00 , Megan Howe
Heathrow Airport has been the worst affected by ongoing flight disruption, with hundreds of passengers facing cancellations and delays today.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, more than 180 arrivals and departures have been affected at Heathrow today alone, following even greater disruption yesterday.
Although the technical issue at the centre of the chaos has now been resolved, its knock-on effects continue to cause problems for airlines and passengers.
Some of the most popular routes out of Heathrow continue to face delays.
Between 2pm and 5pm today, affected departures include flights to:
- Edinburgh
- Milan
- Nice
- Bermuda
- Amsterdam
- Reykjavik
- Marseille
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander says she believes air traffic control problems were not 'unavoidable'
Wednesday 9 September 2026 15:56 , Megan Howe
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told MPs she did not believe the air traffic control problems that have caused chaos for passengers were “unavoidable” and said she had asked the Civil Aviation Authority to conduct an independent review.
She told the Commons: “A four-hour air traffic outage yesterday left hundreds of thousands of passengers facing cancellations, diversions and delays. I would like to apologise wholeheartedly to passengers for this disruption.
“We often take for granted the way in which our aviation system just works, but yesterday that was not the case. Safety must remain air traffic controllers’ overriding priority and this morning I have spoken to Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe, who informed me this outage was due to a technical issue at their Swanwick site.
“So, while my understanding from Nats is that we can rule out a cyber attack on this occasion, I do not believe this issue was unavoidable.”
Almost 350 flights have been cancelled or did not fly on Wednesday
Wednesday 9 September 2026 15:53 , Megan Howe
Some 347 flights have been cancelled or did not fly on Wednesday following Tuesday’s air traffic control incident, aviation analytics company Cirium has said.
As of 3pm, this included 150 departures and 197 arrivals, which represents 5.91% of scheduled flights.
Across Tuesday and Wednesday, 2,093 flights have been impacted, the company said.
Father and daughter face battle to get to Italy for her wedding
Wednesday 9 September 2026 15:30 , Tom Place
A 77-year-old father who was due to fly with his daughter to her wedding in Italy is one of the passengers who found themselves stranded amid the flight disruption.
About an hour before they arrived at Heathrow on Wednesday morning, the pair were told their Naples-bound flight had been cancelled.
They now hope to travel to Gatwick, fly to Milan, catch another flight to Naples early on Thursday and then a boat to Ischia.
The wedding is on Sunday, but events start on Friday with a welcome to their friends, who have already arrived.
Father of the bride Kevin Turner told the Press Association: “We’ve been delayed and unfortunately my daughter’s been emotionally disturbed because she’s been organising this for the last two years and, with her husband-to-be, we’re looking forward to meeting all the family and they’re doing it in Italy because it’s so romantic.”
He added: “I’m based in Thailand, I’m dad and granddad, I’ve come all the way from Thailand just for this wedding and I can’t walk properly because I had a bad operation a couple of years ago – so this will probably be the last time I’ll be able to make this trip, it’s like a golden opportunity and I feel a little bit let down.”
Heathrow to Shanghai flight diverted over Romania and lands in Cardiff 4 hours after take-off
Wednesday 9 September 2026 15:04 , Tom Place
US passengers share travel ordeal - ahead of second straight night sleeping on floor at Heathrow
Wednesday 9 September 2026 14:38 , Tom Place
An American family camping on the floor at Heathrow airport had landed in the UK at 4pm on Tuesday and will not depart until at least 4.30pm on Thursday.
The Connecticut couple and their two daughters, who said they used towels for cushions and luggage trolleys for seats, were one of many groups waiting with their luggage at Terminal 5 departures on Wednesday.
The family was returning to the US following a holiday in Santorini, Greece.
The father, Bob, told the Press Association: “We were three-quarters of the way, a little bit more, to Heathrow when everything shut down and they derailed us (to Stansted).”
The family then had to wait five hours for their luggage at the Essex airport.
Bob added: “We just waited and waited and more people and more people came and it just became a real crowded nightmare.”
At 2.30am, more than 10 hours after landing, they had to travel to Heathrow to try to continue their homewards journey.
With all hotels booked up, they now face a second night sleeping on Heathrow’s floor.
Bob said: “We know it’s not (British Airways’) fault, it happens, but it would’ve been nicer for them to be more proactive with helping us”.
He added that the general travel chaos would not stop them from coming to England again, but they may use a different airline.
Almost 200 London flights cancelled so far today
Wednesday 9 September 2026 14:11 , Tom Place
Aviation analytics company Cirium has said that 327 flights have either been cancelled or have not taken off so far today across the UK.
This accounts for 5.57% of the scheduled flights today, and is made up of 140 departures and 187 arrivals.
Since the disruption began, more than 2,000 flights, and at least 300,000 passengers, have been affected in total.
Here's how the major airports have been affected across arrivals and departures:
182 Heathrow flights have been cancelled, as well as 9 at Gatwick.
'We're seeing signs of weakness of the system'
Wednesday 9 September 2026 14:01 , Tom Place
A travel and tourism advisor has said that the disruption seen around UK airports is a “saf reflection of the UK”.
Speaking to BBC News this morning, Anita Mendiratta said: “NATS and Martin [Rolfe] are going to have to explain what has happened, because it's not only ATC that was impacted; that issue contaminated the entire aviation infrastructure.
“This is a reflection of the UK, and this is where it's quite sad because it really questions if we want to be a global travel and trade hub. How can we do that when it's so easy for one glitch to shut down the system?
“The fear is that we're seeing signs of weakness of the system at the same time that we're wanting airport infrastructure to be growing, but it can't grow if the aircraft are vulnerable to air traffic control challenges that will cause disruptions.”
NATS now 'stable'
Wednesday 9 September 2026 13:51 , Tom Place
NATS has said that its operations are now “stable” following Tuesday’s incident that led to hundreds of flight cancellations.
In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, the air traffic control provider said: “Our operations are stable and we continue to work closely with airlines and airports to support their recovery from the ongoing disruption to their operations.
“We would also like to reiterate our apology to all those affected – passengers, airlines and airports – by our system issue yesterday.
“While our immediate focus is on safely managing today’s flights, a full investigation will be conducted to establish what happened and identify any further action needed.”
Tuesday's incident 'not the same issue' as in 2023
Wednesday 9 September 2026 13:37 , Tom Place
NATS has stated that Tuesday’s incident was “not the same issue” as a previous air traffic control fault.
Asked whether the latest problem was the same as the crisis on August bank holiday 2023, NATS said: “This was not the same issue.
“We will conduct a full investigation to establish what happened and identify any further action required.”
NATS chief still has Downing Street backing
Wednesday 9 September 2026 13:29 , Tom Place
Martin Rolfe, the under-fire chief of Britain’s main air traffic control provider, still has the confidence of the Government, according to a Downing Street spokesman.
Asked about the severe disruption at airports across the country, the spokesman told reporters: “You’ve seen this morning that the Transport Secretary (Heidi Alexander) met the chief of National Air Traffic Service (NATS) to raise significant concerns at the scale of disruption on behalf of both passengers and industry.
“She’s asked him to carry out a full investigation into what happened to make sure that lessons are learned, so that this doesn’t happen again. She set a deadline for them to report back in a week’s time.
“And through our Civil Aviation Bill, which returns to Parliament today, we will make sure air passengers get stronger protection of rights around cancellations, delays, and passenger support.”
Asked whether Ms Alexander and the Prime Minister still have confidence in Mr Rolfe, the spokesman said: “Well, you’ve got the Transport Secretary’s instruction to the NATS CEO.
“I think it’s self-evident that she wants answers and the full investigation to be reported back in a week’s time, and she’s got confidence in him to deliver that.”
Pressed whether this meant the Government’s confidence in the head of air traffic control was conditional on the outcome of the investigation, the spokesman replied: “We have confidence in him and he’s been tasked with the investigation, which will report in a week’s time.”
What to do if your flight is cancelled? Rights explained amid airport chaos
Wednesday 9 September 2026 13:01 , Tom Place
While the problem causing disruption at London’s airports has now been fixed, experts say the knock-on disruption to airline schedules will last for several days.
But amid the chaos, what rights do passengers have to claim compensation – and when can they expect to arrive at their intended destination?
You can read the full story here:
What to do if your flight is cancelled amid Heathrow and Gatwick airport chaos?
Couple almost fall victim to scam by fraudster offering alternate flights
Wednesday 9 September 2026 12:47 , Tom Place
A couple travelling to Portugal nearly fell victim to a scam after a fraudster pretending to work for British Airways tried to offer them alternative flights.
Geoff and Janina McBride, from Hampshire, had planned to travel to Lisbon and then on to the Azores to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary.
They told the Press Association that they called a phone number on what they thought was the official BA website - but while Mr McBride was trying to make a new payment for hundreds of pounds, his wife became suspicious.
On phoning their bank, they were told to “get off the phone to them immediately”.
Mr McBride said: “They blocked my credit card, cancelled all these things.”
He added: “It looked legitimate, proper, he sounded proper, he was going through all the different flights, had all the details, so he can pull that off the internet and speak to me down the phone, credit card details – so I was lucky, very lucky.”
Mr McBride said they had tried to book false tickets worth £600 each, adding that the fraudster “tried to get different flights but couldn’t get the credit card to work” and that “we were in a panic – that’s when they get you”.
Why was there such major disruption for passengers?
Wednesday 9 September 2026 12:35 , Tom Place
Furious passengers are demanding to know what caused the flights chaos at Britain’s airports.
The National Air Traffic Services is urgently carrying out an investigation to identify what went so disastrously wrong, leading to hundreds of flights being cancelled at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and other airports.
Its engineers identified that the problem was in its flight processing system.
NATS put in a “fix” on Tuesday afternoon as the flights crisis grew.
But in a statement at 7.30pm that evening, it admitted: “Recovery from today’s system issue has taken longer than we had hoped.
“Our system issue is now resolved, we are operating normally and working as hard as possible to clear the backlog of flights.”
You can read the full story here:
Heathrow and Gatwick flights chaos: Why was there major disruption for passengers?
Which flights are cancelled at Heathrow and Gatwick today?
Wednesday 9 September 2026 12:23 , Tom Place
Flight delays are set to continue for the rest of the day after the air traffic issue which caused nearly 2,000 flights to be cancelled in the UK.
Tens of thousands of passengers have been impacted by the disruption, which caused 1,750 flights to be cancelled on Tuesday and a further 153 on Wednesday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
You can see the full list of today’s cancelled Heathrow and Gatwick flights (as of 11.30am) here:
Which flights are cancelled at Heathrow and Gatwick today?
Rail passengers disrupted by flight chaos eligible for refunds
Wednesday 9 September 2026 12:11 , Tom Place
Rail passengers who have been affected by flight disruption can travel on a different date, use an alternative station where appropriate or apply for a refund, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has said.
This applies to train customers travelling to and from affected airports, the organisation said.
Train tickets for travelling to or from affected airports on Tuesday or Wednesday can now be used on the date of a rebooked flight.
Customers using rail tickets at a different time or on a different date must carry evidence of flight disruption, for example a rebooked airline ticket or cancellation notification.
Passengers can claim fee-free refunds within 28 days of the date of travel for abandoned train journeys or where customers have had to purchase a new rail ticket to or from a different airport following a flight diversion, RDG said.
The organisation said further details are available on the National Rail website or social media pages.
Moment skies emptied over London
Wednesday 9 September 2026 11:51 , Tom Place
Air traffic boss dodges 'resign' questions amid UK flights meltdown inquest
Wednesday 9 September 2026 11:32 , Tom Place
The boss of Britain’s main air traffic provider dodged questions on whether he should resign as airlines demanded he quit after a system collapse sparked travel chaos.
Martin Rolfe, chief executive of National Air Traffic Service (NATS), was facing a grilling from the Transport Secretary on Wednesday as widespread disruption continues with hundreds of flights cancelled.
Tens of thousands of passengers were caught up in the chaos, which is continuing on Wednesday with further cancellations and delays as airlines deal with the knock-on impacts at airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted.
He said: “Inevitably, things do go wrong in complex systems.
“We never want them to. We always hope they won’t, but we absolutely plan for them to and make sure we handle them properly.”
You can read the full story here:
Air traffic boss on £1.5m-a-year dodges 'resign' questions after UK flights meltdown
How long will Heathrow and Gatwick flights chaos last?
Wednesday 9 September 2026 11:19 , Tom Place
Major disruption at Britain’s airports will impact passengers until at least the weekend, experts say.
Most flights were departing from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and other airports on Wednesday after a day of chaos due to a computer problem at the National Air Traffic Service (NATS).
NATS engineers have identified the problem, which caused hundreds of flights to be cancelled, and it is understood to have been fixed.
But despite the aviation network heading back to normal, the impact on passengers could last for days.
Many families and other travellers whose flights were cancelled are struggling to quickly rebook to get to their destination.
You can read the full story by The Standard’s chief reporter Nicholas Cecil here:
How long will Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted flights chaos last?
British Airways cancels almost 200 flights
Wednesday 9 September 2026 11:05 , Tom Place
British Airways (BA) has confirmed 190 flights have been cancelled, in an update posted on X.
The airline wrote: "With so many planes and crew out of place, we're left with no choice but to cancel more than 190 flights of our original planned schedule.
"While this incident has been completely outside of our control, we do not underestimate the impact it's had on the tens of thousands of our customers who faced disruption yesterday and today, and we're very sorry."
The airline also asked customers whose flights have been cancelled not to come to the airport, and added that phone lines are "extremely busy".
Anyone who does want to move their flight can do so for free up until Friday on its website.
09.09.26 1000: An update for our customers pic.twitter.com/pjtPFxGot0
— British Airways (@British_Airways) September 9, 2026
What are your rights if your flight is cancelled?
Wednesday 9 September 2026 10:17 , Tom Place
Travellers whose flights are departing from the UK or the EU, or on British or European airlines from anywhere in the world, have strong rights, under air passengers’ rights rules.
Passengers are entitled to be flown to their destination as close to the original schedule as possible, on any airline with seats available, and to be provided with meals and hotels if there is a significant delay.
If you are informed about a cancellation less than two weeks ahead, and the airline cannot find an alternative close to the original timing, the presumption is that you should be given between £220 and £520 in cash compensation.
Abta: 'Public will want answers' for NATS failure
Wednesday 9 September 2026 09:56 , Tom Place
Abta, the UK's largest travel trade association, has issued advice for travellers who are dealing with cancelled or delayed flights.
Luke Petherbridge, director of public affairs at Abta said: “If your flight has been delayed or cancelled, customers will have rights, which will vary depending on whether they booked their flight separately or as part of a package.
“Abta members will be supporting those booked with them to help make alternative arrangements, and we have advice on abta.com to help people understand their rights.
“While the immediate priority is supporting customers, as this isn’t the first NATS outage to cause widespread disruption, the industry and the public will want answers as to what has gone wrong, what lessons are being learned, and how the system will be made more resilient to avoid this happening again.”
Faro passenger told next flight not until Friday
Wednesday 9 September 2026 09:47 , Tom Place
One passenger who has been left stranded at Faro Airport has said that his next flight home won’t be available until Friday.
Michael Lipscombe wrote on X: “We are stranded in Faro airport @Ryanair only just got back through security and passport control to get our bags.
“We don’t have an available alternative flight from you until Friday 9am… any chance of help?”
Update, we are stranded in Faro airport @Ryanair only just got back through security and passport control to get our bags.
— Michael Lipscombe (@MichaelJL22) September 8, 2026
We don’t have an available alternative flight from you until Friday 9am… any chance of help? https://t.co/YysyHkg1cU
'Lessons can be learned' amid second day of travel chaos
Wednesday 9 September 2026 09:39 , Tom Place
Beverley Griffiths, senior lecturer in security and resilience at Bucks New University, says lessons can be learned after hundreds of flights were cancelled following a technical issue.
She said: “The confirmation that a cyber attack has been ruled out is an important development, but the incident still highlights the vulnerability of highly complex and interconnected systems.
“The focus now should be on understanding not only what technical problem occurred, but why it was able to cause such widespread disruption, and whether there are lessons around system resilience, redundancy, maintenance and contingency planning.
“Air traffic management is a hugely complex system involving multiple technologies, organisations and suppliers, so failures can have consequences far beyond the original problem. From a resilience perspective, the key issue is not whether systems ever fail, but how effectively they respond and recover when they do.
“For passengers, the disruption is understandably incredibly frustrating, particularly when journeys involve family commitments, business travel or international connections.
“The real test of resilience will be how quickly services can be safely restored, how effectively those affected are supported, and what can be learned to reduce the impact of future incidents.”
In pictures: Chaos at airports as disruption continues
Wednesday 9 September 2026 09:31 , Tom Place
Ryanair costs to 'run into the millions'
Wednesday 9 September 2026 09:22 , Tom Place
More from Ryanair chief Neal McMahon.
He told Times Radio Breakfast this morning that the company has been forced to cancel 250 flights, with costs to the company expected to “run into the millions”.
He said: “Airlines across the UK cancelled over a thousand flights, and hundreds of thousands of people were disrupted because the lessons learned for the previous failures have not been delivered by Martin Rolfe.”
Mr McMahon added: “We have crews everywhere and it’s a real shambles because we couldn’t get our aircraft where they were meant to be yesterday.
“We had 250 flights cancelled, so really, really disruptive for us.”
Ryanair chief calls for Rolfe resignation
Wednesday 9 September 2026 09:15 , Tom Place
Ryanair has called on the Government to ask NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign.
Asked in an interview with Times Radio Breakfast whether it was time for the Government to “step in”, the airline’s chief operations officer Neal McMahon said: “Absolutely.
“We understand the Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, is going to meet with Martin Rolfe today and we think she should ask him to resign.
“We think it’s critical that we put in somebody in NATS at the top who can deliver resilience, who can deliver the extra staffing that’s needed so that NATS can perform as well as other ATC (air traffic control) providers across Europe.
“Like, we don’t see this in France, we don’t see this in Italy, we don’t see this in Spain, we don’t see this in Ireland, we don’t see this in Germany.
“This is a UK problem where the backup systems don’t kick in when the primary systems have a fault.”
Stansted 'operating as normal'
Wednesday 9 September 2026 09:09 , Tom Place
London Stansted have said they are "operating as normal", with passengers advised to continue their journey plans and check for the latest information from their airlines.
ℹ️ Information for passengers - 09.09.26 | 7:30am pic.twitter.com/Ta8CDfzXk6
— London Stansted Airport (@STN_Airport) September 9, 2026
Gatwick Express issues
Wednesday 9 September 2026 09:04 , Tom Place
To exacerbate the disruption, Gatwick Express services running between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport are also seeing disruption this morning.
A broken-down train between Purley and Gatwick airport means some lines are blocked, with a number of trains being cancelled or delayed.
The train disruption is expected until around 11am.
'Mayhem' at Heathrow
Wednesday 9 September 2026 08:58 , Tom Place
Mayhem at Heathrow staff overwhelmed passengers confused and bewildered. I was held on a plane for 8 hours on the tarmac I wake this morning totally stunned by the experience #heathrow pic.twitter.com/KTiiIn2nKW
— Nick Marr | Real Estate Pioneer (@NickCMarr) September 9, 2026
Better contingency plan needed?
Wednesday 9 September 2026 08:49 , Tom Place
UK air traffic control:
— Jamie Kay (@TheRealJamieKay) September 9, 2026
2023: major failure.
2025: major disruption.
2026: around 1,300 flights cancelled in a day.
I’m beginning to suspect “turning it off and back on again” isn’t a sufficient contingency plan.
London flights diverted to Scotland
Wednesday 9 September 2026 08:37 , Tom Place
Some London flights have been diverted as far away as Edinburgh due to the disruption over the past day.
According to one X user, a flight from New York to Heathrow was diverted to Edinburgh yesterday evening - with operator Jet Blue allegedly leaving passengers to “fend for yourselves.”
Issues have been exacerbated by hotels being fully booked, leaving hundreds stranded with nowhere to go and no flights available in the coming days.
Flight from JFK to LHR diverted to Edinburgh tonight - amongst many others. @JetBlue said “not our problem” everyone fend for yourselves. All hotels fully booked in the city. 100s stranded in the airport with nowhere to go. No flights available tomorrow either. @BBCNews @CNN
— Dr_MKJC (@Dr_MKJC) September 9, 2026
Wizz Air boss to NATS chief: 'Three strikes and you’re out'
Wednesday 9 September 2026 08:29 , Tom Place
Wizz Air’s managing director said there are “serious questions about the resilience” of the UK’s air traffic control service.
Yvonne Moynihan told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We had 24 cancellations yesterday and over 21 other flights that were disrupted with long-term delays.
“So that’s over 10,000 passengers coming in and out of London have had major disruption.”
She added: “This is now the third time that we have had an air traffic control failure, and during the peak period as well. So major questions need to be asked
“There are serious questions about the resilience of this system.”
Asked whether NATS’ chief executive Martin Rolfe should consider resigning, Ms Moynihan said: “I think in any industry, when you’ve had three failures, you need to consider that three strikes and you’re out.
“So I think it’s certainly something that he needs to look at.”
She added: “A third time and a third excuse is not enough anymore.”
Rolfe apologises for flights disruption
Wednesday 9 September 2026 08:16 , Tom Place
More from NATS CEO Martin Rolfe.
He has apologised for the widespread disruption to flights since Tuesday, telling the Today Programme: “Inevitably, things do go wrong in complex systems.
“We never want them to. We always hope they won’t, but we absolutely plan for them to and make sure we handle them properly.”
He added: “I would say the UK has one of the best reputations in the world for its air traffic control service, both from a safety perspective and from a resilience perspective.
“NATS was actually a partial privatisation 25 years ago, and since that point, it’s had access to funding.
“We’ve invested way more than a billion in technology over that time, our service has consistently improved. Our safety is consistently improved from a very good base.
“But all of those things don’t detract from the fact that when these things happen, it is disappointing and upsetting, for which I apologise.”
Discussing the response to Tuesday’s incident, Mr Rolfe said: “We had everybody on site, everybody was in the right place. We had all the engineers in place. We had our various partners from software industries and so on all on hand.
“So this was resolved as quickly as it could be, but within the limits of making sure that it all stayed safe.”
NATS chief exec rules out cyber attack
Wednesday 9 September 2026 08:08 , Tom Place
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe said there will be a “very, very thorough investigation” into the technical problem that has caused widespread disruption to flights.
He did, however, rule out a cyber attack as the cause.
He said: “We have at this point ruled out cyber, we don’t believe it was a cyber attack.
“My focus and that of the team has been on both getting our system operating back up normally, which it is now, but there’s obviously a huge tail to the disruption and we’ll be working on that through the course of today.
“And then our attention will turn to exactly what’s happened in this particular incident.
“What I will say is I don’t believe we’ve ever seen an incident happen more than once, so this will be something different that we’ve never seen in 50 years of operation.”
Government apologises to passengers over flights chaos
Wednesday 9 September 2026 08:03 , Tom Place
The Government has apologised to passengers caught up in the flights chaos in Britain.
It is also demanding answers from the head of the National Air Traffic Service, Martin Rolfe, over how things could have gone so badly wrong.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told BBC Breakfast: "First of all, I want to apologise to all of the passengers who have faced disruption.
"This is frankly unacceptable. It was a problem at the National Air Traffic Service, but we can't have this happen again.
"The Transport Secretary is calling in the head of the NATs, the National Air Traffic Service this morning to get answers to this.
"We've got to have our airports running smoothly and properly without those problems, and that is what the Transport Secretary will be asking for from the head of the National Air Traffic Service."
Huge taxi queue at Heathrow
Wednesday 9 September 2026 07:59 , Tom Place
🚨INSANE Queue Just to get a taxi outside Heathrow terminal 5 🇬🇧
— Aviation Reporter (@TripppleSeven7) September 8, 2026
This is after an ATC fault caused flight delays and cancellations at Heathrow and other UK airports
🎥UB1UB2 pic.twitter.com/YyDa7CyvqY
Gatwick confirm flights have resumed
Wednesday 9 September 2026 07:55 , Tom Place
Gatwick Airport have sent an update to passengers this morning amid the flight disruption.
In a post on X, the airport wrote: “Flights have now resumed from London Gatwick. However, we still anticipate that it will take time for our operations to fully return to normal.
“Passengers should continue to check with their airlines for more information regarding their flights.”
Flights have now resumed from London Gatwick.
— London Gatwick LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) September 9, 2026
However, we still anticipate that it will take time for our operations to fully return to normal.
Passengers should continue to check with their airlines for more information regarding their flights. pic.twitter.com/ai6prR2Rv8
'Like trying to get out of Alcatraz'
Wednesday 9 September 2026 07:51 , Tom Place
Josie Donoghue was among the thousands facing disruption on Tuesday.
She had to get off her flight to Ireland after spending three hours on the runway at Gatwick.
Ms Donoghue said: “Getting through that airport was like trying to get out of Alcatraz. We were trapped in there. We were told we couldn’t get out until the flights were cancelled, and then eventually they allowed us to get out.
“It’s just an absolute nightmare down there, it’s the only word I can use to describe it.”
82 year-old left waiting hours to get her bag back
Wednesday 9 September 2026 07:47 , Tom Place
Amanda Dick-Cleland, 63, had been due to fly from Gatwick to Ibiza at around 3.50pm yesterday.
Her flight was cancelled, and Ms Dick-Cleland has been offered an alternative British Airways flight, but it is not until Saturday.
She said the trip to Ibiza was to celebrate a friend’s birthday on Friday.
Ms Dick-Cleland was travelling with a friend who had checked her bag in at around 6pm.
She told PA: “She’s 82, sitting on the carousel waiting for them to bring her bag back.
“She’s been there for two hours.”
Knock-on effects 'going to be horrible'
Wednesday 9 September 2026 07:42 , Tom Place
Travel journalist Simon Calder said the knock-on effects from the disruption were “going to be horrible”.
He told Sky News: “There are going to be dozens of cancellations in the morning of flights coming into Heathrow because, basically, the flights didn’t go out tonight.”
Ryanair said more than 65,000 of its passengers had been disrupted and it had cancelled more than 50 scheduled flights, while British Airways (BA) said it was forced to cancel or divert more than 100 flights on Tuesday which had impacted “tens of thousands of customers”.
Martin Brundle stuck for nine hours on a plane
Wednesday 9 September 2026 07:36 , Tom Place
Former racing driver and TV broadcaster Martin Brundle has posted about his ordeal after being stuck on a plane for nine hours amid the flight disruption.
Mr Brundle wrote: “Nine hours and counting sitting on a plane which has travelled nowhere. At a remote parking bay, no food throughout, and mother/baby and a person with a medical condition desperate to get off. As is everyone else.
“Toilets no longer available as blocked. No sign of steps or buses. And that’s before the wait for luggage. Pathetic and dangerous lack of corporate contingency and responsibility.”
Great work BA and Heathrow 😡 Nine hours and counting sitting on a plane which has travelled nowhere. At a remote parking bay, no food throughout, and mother/baby and a person with a medical condition desperate to get off. As is everyone else. Toilets no longer available as…
— Martin Brundle OBE (@MBrundleF1) September 8, 2026
Wizz Air and Ryanair call for overhaul
Wednesday 9 September 2026 07:32 , Tom Place
European budget carriers Wizz Air and Ryanair called on Tuesday for an overhaul of Britain's air traffic control provider NATS following a new technical issue that disrupted hundreds of flights at key airports in the country.
"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 for Wizz Air said.
Ryanair also criticised the agency and called for the resignation of its CEO, Martin Rolfe.
"Following the 2023 collapse, we were told lessons would be learned. We were told 'resilience would improve'. We were told the systems had been fixed. Yet here we are again," Ryanair Chief Operations Officer Neal McMahon said.
Passengers 'sleeping in boxes' at Terminal 5
Wednesday 9 September 2026 07:26 , Tom Place
Passengers slept overnight “in boxes” at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, according to reports.
They were queuing from the terminal entrance on Wednesday morning, and #hundreds of people were crowded around the check-in desks.
Times Radio reported that people were “strewn over the floor” trying to get some sleep, with “some of them in boxes”.
No flights over London
Wednesday 9 September 2026 07:22 , Tom Place
A screenshot from FlightRadar posted on Reddit yesterday afternoon showed the moment that there were zero planes in the sky over London due to the disruption.
NATS CEO 'accepts full responsibility'
Wednesday 9 September 2026 07:18 , Tom Place
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has summoned the NATS CEO Martin Rolfe to a meeting this morning for an explanation of the air traffic control disruption which led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights.
Ms Alexander will speak with Mr Rolfe before she addresses MPs in the Commons for the second reading of the Civil Aviation Bill.
Mr Rolfe told Sky News that he “always accept(s) full responsibility” when asked if he was considering his position after the incident.
He added: “I am the CEO of a piece of critical infrastructure, so it is my job to take responsibility for that.
“What I absolutely take responsibility for is keeping people safe and delivering the best service we possibly can on a day like today.
“You will understand my focus is entirely about how we actually resolve this issue, get things back to normal, help our airlines, our airport customers and the travelling public.”
Hotels run out of rooms near Heathrow
Wednesday 9 September 2026 07:13 , Tom Place
Hundreds of travellers around London have been left stranded following the flight disruption.
One person took to X to write: “ Stuck at Heathrow airport because there's not a single hotel in the vicinity of London available”.
What caused the disruption and how long will it last?
Wednesday 9 September 2026 07:08 , Tom Place
As of yet, we don’t know the exact cause of the fault that has led to the disruption, other than it being a technical issue in NATS' systems.
It is also unclear how long it will take for flights to fully resume and for the backlog to be fully cleared.
But disruption is expected to last for much of today at least.
FlightRadar confirms number of cancelled flights
Wednesday 9 September 2026 07:03 , Tom Place
FlightRadar posted on X at around 2.25am that 1,300 UK flights were cancelled on Tuesday, with a further 177 flights already cancelled today.
That number has already massively increased - we will bring you all the latest here.
All told, 1300 flights were canceled to/from airports in the UK on Tuesday.
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) September 9, 2026
177 flights have been canceled so far on Wednesday, nearly all at London-Heathrow. pic.twitter.com/LWdZcDp36i
The situation at Heathrow
Wednesday 9 September 2026 06:57 , Tom Place
As of 6.30am, The Standard counted at least 200 flight already cancelled at Heathrow today, with roughly an even split between arrivals and departures.
A spokesperson for the airport said: “Following yesterday’s technical issue affecting NATS air traffic control, Heathrow’s operations are recovering.
“Flights are operating today, however some knock-on disruption is expected as airlines reposition aircraft and crew.
“Passengers are advised to check the latest status of their flight directly with their airline and to only travel to Heathrow if their flight is confirmed as operating today.
“We apologise to passengers affected by the disruption. Additional colleagues are available across our terminals to provide support, and we are working closely with NATS and our airline partners to return operations to normal as quickly as possible.”
Air traffic mayhem as hundreds of flights cancelled
Wednesday 9 September 2026 06:51 , Tom Place
The technical failure with air traffic control plunged UK airports into chaos on Tuesday, with more havoc expected on Wednesday with hundred of flights already cancelled.
Heathrow and Gatwick airports were hardest hit by the issue on Tuesday afternoon which led to the cancellation of more than 875 flights across the UK.
By 10.30pm almost 500 flights to and from the London airports were cancelled with a further 750 delayed, according to flight tracker Flightradar.
Stansted, London City and Luton airports that serve the capital were also affected with scores of delays and cancellations.
Stansted in Essex saw 113 flights cancelled and 261 flights delayed, according to Flightradar’s analysis. More than 60 flights were axed at London City airport.
Pictures taken at Stansted showed hordes of flyers waiting for updates on delayed trips and refunds in the terminal.
Over 1,000 London flights cancelled or delayed in air traffic mayhem
Good morning
Wednesday 9 September 2026 06:44 , Tom Place
We are resuming our live coverage this morning, with disruption to London flights expected to continue today following a technical failure with air traffic control.
Coverage suspended
Tuesday 8 September 2026 22:46 , Megan Howe
Our coverage of the ongoing disruption across UK’s airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick following a technical issue, has been suspended for today.
Tune in again on Wednesday morning for the latest updates.
Overnight flying restrictions eased
Tuesday 8 September 2026 22:37 , Megan Howe
The government has temporarily eased night flying restrictions to allow airports to operate overnight and clear a massive flight backlog, according to The Telegraph.
There are normally restrictions to the numbers and types of aircraft allowed to operate between 11.30pm and 6am.
But these have been eased on account of the ongoing disruption.
However, Heathrow has not confirmed they will run flights through the night.
Flights now arriving and departing from Bristol Airport
Tuesday 8 September 2026 21:55 , Megan Howe
Bristol Airport says flights are now arriving and departing at Bristol Airport.
In a statement on X, it warns that disruption is "likely to continue" into tomorrow and customers should check the latest flight information with their airline.
Heathrow suspends arrivals for the rest of Tuesday
Tuesday 8 September 2026 21:54 , Megan Howe
Heathrow said it has suspended arrivals for the rest of Tuesday after technical issues at an air traffic control provider caused huge disruption to flights.
Nats, which provides air traffic control services to 15 UK airports, said in a statement that recovery had “taken longer than we had hoped” but the issues had been resolved.
In a statement on X, Heathrow said: “Arrivals into Heathrow have been suspended for the remainder of Tuesday 8 September to ensure the safety of our passengers and colleagues.
“Departures have resumed, but disruption is expected to continue, so we advise passengers to check with their airline for the latest flight information before travelling to the airport.
“We apologise to those affected and are supporting our local NATS team and airline partners as they work through the resulting disruption.”
Departures resume at Heathrow but disruption continues
Tuesday 8 September 2026 21:44 , Megan Howe
A Heathrow spokesperson said: "Due to the earlier technical issue affecting NATS, arrivals into Heathrow have been suspended for the rest of the day to ensure the safety of our passengers and colleagues.
“Departures have resumed, but disruption is expected to continue, so we advise passengers to check with their airline for the latest flight information before travelling to the airport.
“We apologise to those affected and are supporting our local NATS team and airline partners as they work through the resulting disruption."
More than 1,000 UK flights cancelled, FlightRadar reports
Tuesday 8 September 2026 21:30 , Megan Howe
FlghtRadar maps show the difference between inbound flights today in comparison to last Tuesday, with the skies currently looking much clearer.
Over 1,000 flights have been cancelled now, according to the site.
What caused the disruption and how long will it last?
Tuesday 8 September 2026 21:26 , Megan Howe
As of yet, we don’t know the exact cause of the fault that led to the disruption, other than it being a technical issue in Nats' systems.
It is also unclear how long it will take for flights to fully resume and for the backlog to be fully cleared.
But disruption is expected to last for some hours yet.
Footage shows huge queues for taxis outside Heathrow
Tuesday 8 September 2026 21:00 , Megan Howe
Dozens of passengers could be seen queuing for taxis this evening at Heathrow Airport.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and delayed as a result of the ongoing disruption.
Passenger compares trying to leave Gatwick to 'trying to escape Alcatraz' as disruption continues
Tuesday 8 September 2026 21:00 , Megan Howe
Josie Donoghue had to get off her flight to Ireland after spending three hours on the runway, and said that getting through Gatwick airport was like “trying to get out of Alcatraz”.
The healthcare worker boarded the Ryanair plane to Shannon at around 3pm and said that “everything seemed fine” until passengers were informed the flight would be delayed due to an issue with air traffic control.
Ms Donoghue said the delay then went “on and on”, adding: “And then I thought, OK they’re not giving us any clear information. It was like they keep saying they’re troubleshooting, they’re doing this, they’re doing that, they’re doing the other.
“Clearly, they didn’t want to tell us what was happening, so I had enough, and I decided at 6 o’clock I’m getting off this plane. I told them I want to get off.”
She said the staff were “exceptional” and helped passengers exit the plane.
Ms Donoghue added: “Getting through that airport was like trying to get out of Alcatraz. We were trapped in there. We were told we couldn’t get out until the flights were cancelled, and then eventually they allowed us to get out.“
She added: “It’s just an absolute nightmare down there, it’s the only word I can use to describe it.” Ms Donoghue is hoping to rebook a flight to Ireland for Wednesday.
Video: Chaos at Gatwick airport this evening
Tuesday 8 September 2026 20:43 , Megan Howe
Passengers could be seen patiently waiting in front of departure boards for updates on their flights, as hundreds remained grounded amid ongoing disruption.
NATS has confirmed that the issue has now been resolved, but passengers are being warned to expect continued disruption as airlines work through a backlog of delayed flights.
Passenger's Ibiza trip disrupted after Gatwick flight cancelled
Tuesday 8 September 2026 20:39 , Megan Howe
Amanda Dick-Cleland, 63, was due to fly from Gatwick to Ibiza at around 3.50pm today.
Her flight was cancelled, and Ms Dick-Cleland has been offered an alternative British Airways flight, but it is not until Saturday.
She said the trip to Ibiza was to celebrate a friend’s birthday on Friday.
Ms Dick-Cleland was travelling on Tuesday with a friend who had checked her bag in at around 6pm.
She said: “She’s 82, sitting on the carousel waiting for them to bring her bag back.
“She’s been there for two hours.”
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