Air Traffic Control Issues: Which Airports Are Impacted?

Just weeks after a major air traffic control issue caused widespread disruption to travellers in the UK, another issue has prompted delays and cancellations in Scotland, Ireland and northern England.

On 21 September, National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said a technical issue at its Prestwick centre in Scotland was causing disruption.

NATS has since confirmed the issue has been fixed – yet some UK airports are experiencing knock-on delays and cancellations.

The new issue was unrelated to the technical problems experienced earlier this month, with a NATS spokesperson adding that air traffic regulations had been applied to manage traffic demand and maintain safety.

National Air Traffic Services (NATS) serves 15 UK airports including Heathrow, Newcastle, Manchester, Gatwick and Stansted.

NATS said airports south of Manchester had been “largely unaffected” by the issue.

However, flights heading north – and those departing Scottish airports – were subject to delays and cancellations.

• Manchester Airport said the technical issue was causing delays to flights and urged passengers to “keep an eye out for updates from their airlines”.
• At Belfast City Airport, several arrivals and departures had been cancelled.
• Belfast International Airport also reported delays. An update on its site reads: “Passengers who are due to travel should check with their airline for latest information on their flight status. If you do not have a confirmed flight please do not travel to the airport.”
• Edinburgh Airport has noted there are delays. Some flights have also been cancelled.
• Per the BBC, Highlands and Islands Airports said all 11 of its airports are affected and passengers should contact the airline they’re flying with for the latest updates.
• Glasgow Airport is also impacted with some flights delayed or cancelled. The airport said on its website that further disruption is expected due to the knock-on impact across the network and passengers should check with their airline for the latest flight information.
• Newcastle Airport is also experiencing a number of delays as well as a couple of cancellations.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander shared on X that engineers have now fixed the problem impacting NATS systems.

She said: “I know this will be deeply frustrating for passengers after the previous issue. There may be some delays as things reset. Please check with your airline for updates.”

A NATS spokesperson said: “We are working with airports and airlines to safely lift air traffic regulations as quickly as we can to minimise any further disruption.

“Passengers should still check the status of their flight with their airline. We apologise for the disruption.”

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, advised passengers who are due to travel today or tomorrow to “check the advice from your airport, tour operator, airline apps, or airport social media feeds for the most up to date advice”.

“If your flight is cancelled or delayed, you’re unlikely to be owed compensation by the airline as the technical issue is considered an ‘extraordinary circumstance’,” he said.

“However, your airline is still responsible for looking after you during a delay. This includes food and drink after two to four hours (depending on how far you are flying) and a hotel if you are stuck overnight.

“If you end up having to pay for these things yourself, be sure to keep the receipts as you will need to claim this back from the airline.”