UK air traffic control failure halts flights, diverts inbound traffic

A technical failure at the UK's National Air Traffic Services (NATS) caused severe disruption to air travel across the country on September 8. The problem began shortly after 13:00 local time and continued for hours. NATS confirmed a technical issue and deployed engineers.

London Heathrow and Gatwick suspended both departures and arrivals. Inbound flights were stopped until at least 19:00 local time. Other affected airports included Stansted, Luton, London City, Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Belfast City, Cardiff, Southampton, and Southend. By late afternoon, more than 300 flights had been cancelled.

Eurocontrol said eight airports in Germany and Ireland were placed on standby to accept diverted aircraft unable to land at Heathrow. Passengers also reported delays in Paris and Alicante.