Key facts
- The UK's air traffic control system experienced a technical failure, causing over 2,000 flight cancellations.
- Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander stated the failure was avoidable and ruled out a cyberattack.
- Nats CEO Martin Rolfe has been summoned by the Transport Secretary.
- Nats has been given one week to investigate the incident.
- The Civil Aviation Authority will conduct a separate independent review, reporting in six months.
- Airlines expressed serious concerns, citing this as the third major system failure in three years.
The UK's air traffic control system, operated by Nats, suffered a significant technical failure that led to the cancellation of over 2,000 flights and widespread disruption. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has stated that the failure was avoidable and ruled out a cyberattack as the cause.
Alexander met with Nats CEO Martin Rolfe, who has been asked to provide a report on the incident within one week. Additionally, the Civil Aviation Authority will conduct an independent review, with an update expected in six months. This marks the third major technical fault for Nats in three years, following a significant outage over the August bank holiday weekend in 2023 that affected 700,000 passengers.
Airlines, including Ryanair and Wizz Air, have called for accountability and leadership changes at Nats. Airlines UK, representing the country's carriers, expressed serious concerns, noting that airlines often bear the financial consequences of such failures. The Civil Aviation Authority has indicated that passengers are unlikely to be entitled to compensation for delays or cancellations directly caused by the incident, as it is likely to be considered an 'extraordinary circumstance'.
The glitch occurred at Nats' Swanwick Centre in Hampshire, affecting its flight processing system. While operations have resumed, airports anticipate ongoing knock-on effects as aircraft and crew reposition.