The Ministry of Defence has denied responsibility for the air traffic control system failure that led to the cancellation of approximately 2,000 flights, impacting over 330,000 travelers. Reports from industry insiders suggested that a flight plan submitted by a UK military aircraft contained "spurious" data, which caused a glitch in the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) system, leading to a four-hour technical outage last Tuesday.
However, the Ministry of Defence stated that "We do not believe there's any indication of an error on the part of the military." They noted that commenting further would be inappropriate while the NATS investigation, expected to conclude this week, is ongoing. A NATS spokesperson echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that "It would be wrong to speculate while that work continues, and a full technical investigation will follow."
The widespread disruption has intensified scrutiny on NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe, with calls for his resignation from airline executives. Wizz Air expressed "extreme disappointment" and stated that NATS is "simply not fit for purpose in its current form." Ryanair's CEO Michael O'Leary described Rolfe's position as "untenable."
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander informed Parliament that she does not believe the air traffic control issue was "unavoidable." Rolfe met with Alexander last Wednesday and was given one week to produce a report on the fault's cause, with the report due this Wednesday. Alexander has also requested an independent review from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) chief executive, Rob Bishton, within six months.
Records show Rolfe has received significant bonuses over the past three years, despite previous air traffic control disruptions in 2023 and 2025. A "radar-related issue" in July caused over 160 flight cancellations, and a technical glitch in August 2023 grounded flights for over 700,000 passengers.
The CAA has indicated that passengers are "unlikely to be entitled to compensation" for delays and cancellations stemming from the incident, citing "extraordinary circumstances."
Airport operations, including those at Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, and Stansted, had returned to normal by last Thursday. In a separate political development, Labour faced criticism after their aviation minister reportedly boasted about enhancing the air traffic control system's "increased resilience" just a day before the collapse. This statement drew a response from Conservative MP Richard Holden, who argued that Labour should accept responsibility when systems they claim to have improved fail.
NATS, headquartered in Swanwick, Hampshire, operates as a public-private partnership with a controlling stake held by the government. The remaining shares are distributed among major UK airlines, including British Airways, easyJet, and Virgin Atlantic, as well as Heathrow Airport and NATS staff.