A radar-related technical failure in the United Kingdom’s air traffic control system caused major flight disruptions at several airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, and Edinburgh, on Wednesday. The outage, which lasted over four hours, has since been resolved, with operations now returning to normal.
The disruption was linked to a malfunction at the NATS Swanwick control centre, Britain’s main air traffic control hub. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), NATS confirmed the issue had been resolved and systems were “fully operational.”
“We quickly switched to our backup system, during which time we reduced traffic to ensure safety,” a NATS spokesperson told Reuters.
Heathrow Airport, the UK’s busiest and a major European hub, confirmed flight operations had resumed but urged passengers to check with airlines before travelling. London City, Gatwick, and Edinburgh airports also reported resumed operations after earlier disruptions.
Ryanair, Europe’s largest budget airline, condemned the incident, saying it caused “over four hours” of delays and multiple diversions, affecting thousands of passengers. The airline demanded the resignation of NATS CEO Martin Rolfe.
“It is clear that no lessons have been learnt since the August 2023 NATS system outage, and passengers continue to suffer as a result of Martin Rolfe’s incompetence,” said Neal McMahon, Ryanair’s chief operating officer.
In August 2023, a separate air traffic control failure involving flight plan processing caused widespread delays and cancellations across the UK. Following that event, the UK Civil Aviation Authority ordered NATS to review its contingency protocols after airlines reported losses exceeding £100 million ($133 million).
While normal air traffic capacity is now being restored, Wednesday’s incident has renewed scrutiny of NATS’ reliability and crisis response capabilities.
Written By Rodney Mbua
