AROUND 425 flights were cancelled this afternoon because of a UK air traffic control issue and that number is expected to rise, flight monitoring website Flightradar24 said.
Recovery from disruptions to flights leaving the UK caused by an air traffic control issue will “take some time”, Nats has said, after more than 400 flights were cancelled.
Passengers have been advised to check the latest flight information with their airlines, while airports apologised for the disruption caused.
Nats, which provides air traffic control services to 15 UK airports, said in a statement it was “investigating a technical issue” causing disruption to some flight departures, and later said it had identified the problem was in its “flight processing system”.
The company said: “Our engineers are on site and working urgently to resume normal operations as quickly as possible.
“We recognise the ongoing disruption to travel, for which we sincerely apologise.
“Flights are still departing and airspace is open, but recovery will take some time. We will provide further updates as soon as possible.
“Passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline.”
Nats later said it had “implemented a fix” and its flight system was “starting to recover.”
The worst affected airports are Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham, according to Flightradar24, which said approximately 4% of UK flights have been cancelled or delayed as a result of the issue.
In a statement on its website, Nats said: “We are investigating a technical issue which is causing some disruption to flight departures. Our engineers are on site and we will provide an update as soon as we can.
"We apologise for the delay this will cause to journeys, passengers should check with their airline on the status of their flight. We will provide updates on www.nats.aero and on X – @NATS.”
Edinburgh Airport said it was aware the technical issue affecting air traffic control service Nats “may impact operations”.
A post on X said: “We are aware of a technical issue affecting @NATS which may impact operations. We are working closely with air traffic control, airlines and other partners, and hope @NATS can resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Aberdeen and Glasgow are also seeing some disruption.
An AGS spokesperson said: “A technical issue affecting NATS air traffic control services is causing disruption to some flight departures. As a result, some services operating to and from our airports may experience delays.
“We apologise for any inconvenience and advise passengers to check with their airline for the latest flight information before travelling.”
Heathrow Airport said arriving flights are not affected.
A statement said: “The air traffic control service @NATS is experiencing a technical issue which is impacting departing flights at UK airports.
“Arriving flights are not currently impacted.
“We are supporting our local Nats team in their efforts to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We will provide updated information when we have it.
“We apologise to those disrupted and advise passengers to check with their airline for latest flight information.”
The airport apologised to impacted customers and advised passengers to check with their airline for the latest flight information.
In a statement posted on X, Manchester Airport said the Nats issue may cause delays to some departing flights.
The statement said: “We are aware of an issue affecting Nats’ air traffic control service at UK airports, which may result in delays to some departing flights from Manchester Airport today.
“Passengers due to travel are advised to check the latest status of their flight with their airline.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and share further updates as more information becomes available.”
Jersey Airport said it was also affected by a technical issue with air traffic control.
In a statement the Channel Islands airport said: “UK air traffic control is currently experiencing issues which is impacting flights across the UK including services between Jersey and UK.
“Passengers are advised to check the latest flight information directly with their airline.”
Nats provides air traffic control services to 15 UK airports.
