NATS fault cancels 177 flights, Heathrow commuters hit hard
System breakdown at air traffic control led to mass cancellations on Wednesday, with Ryanair and British Airways reporting thousands of affected passengers
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NATS confirmed a technical fault that disrupted its air traffic control service across fifteen UK airports. The outage forced the cancellation of 177 flights on Wednesday, according to MyLondon. The majority of those flights were scheduled to leave Heathrow, meaning commuters from north London faced significant delays.
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Flightradar24 data showed that on Tuesday a total of 1,300 flights were cancelled to and from UK airports. MyLondon noted that the same fault carried over into Wednesday, adding another 177 cancellations. The cascade effect was expected to ripple through major hubs such as Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted.
Airlines report passenger impact
Ryanair told reporters that more than 65,000 of its customers were caught up in the disruption and that over 50 of its scheduled services were removed from the timetable. British Airways said it was forced to cancel or divert more than 100 flights on Tuesday, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded.
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"I am the CEO of a piece of critical infrastructure, so it is my job to take responsibility for that. 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,"
Martin Rolfe, NATS chief executive
Luton Airport remains open
Luton Airport announced early on Wednesday that it was open and operational despite the national disruption. The airport warned that some services might still experience irregularities and urged passengers to check their flight status directly before travelling, as reported by MyLondon.
What residents should do next
Travelers in Barnet and the wider London area are advised to monitor airline communications and use online flight‑status tools before heading to the airport. Those with booked journeys should contact their carrier for rebooking options or refunds. The Civil Aviation Authority will review the incident, but no further details have been released.
Questions this report answers
+How many flights were cancelled on Wednesday because of the NATS fault?
A total of 177 flights were cancelled on Wednesday after the NATS technical failure, according to MyLondon. Most of those flights were scheduled to depart from Heathrow, affecting passengers travelling to and from north London.
+What impact did the disruption have on Ryanair customers?
Ryanair said more than 65,000 of its passengers were affected and that over 50 of its scheduled flights were removed from the timetable. The airline urged customers to check their bookings and seek re‑routing or refunds where possible.
+Is Luton Airport still operating despite the cancellations?
Luton Airport confirmed it remained open and operational on Wednesday, but it cautioned that some flights could still face irregularities. Passengers were advised to verify their flight status directly with the airline before travelling to the airport.
+What should travellers do now to avoid further inconvenience?
Travellers should monitor airline updates, use flight‑status websites and contact their carriers for rebooking or compensation. The Civil Aviation Authority is expected to investigate the incident, but no further guidance has been issued yet.
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