The Ministry of Defence has denied that a military aircraft's flight plan data caused the recent technical failure at National Air Traffic Services (NATS) that resulted in the cancellation of approximately 2,000 flights and affected over 330,000 travelers.
Sources had initially suggested to the Financial Times that an entry from a UK military aircraft may have triggered a glitch in the NATS system, leading to a four-hour outage. However, the Ministry of Defence stated that they have found no indication of an error on the part of the military.
"Because it's subject to a live NATS investigation, which is expected to conclude [this] week, it would be inappropriate for us to comment any further while that investigation is ongoing," a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said.
A NATS spokesman echoed this, stating, "We are continuing to investigate the underlying cause. It would be wrong to speculate while that work continues, and a full technical investigation will follow."
The disruption has led to calls for NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary described Rolfe's position as "untenable," and Wizz Air expressed its "extreme disappointment," stating NATS is "simply not fit for purpose in its current form."
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander met with Mr. Rolfe last Wednesday and has requested a report on the fault's cause by this Wednesday. She has also asked the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) chief executive to conduct an independent review within six months.
This incident follows previous disruptions. In July, a "radar-related issue" caused over 160 flight cancellations, and in August 2023, a technical glitch during flight plan processing grounded flights for more than 700,000 passengers. NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe has reportedly received significant bonuses over the past three years despite these earlier failures.
The CAA has indicated that passengers are unlikely to be entitled to compensation for delays or cancellations caused by the incident, citing "extraordinary circumstances."
NATS, a public-private partnership with a controlling government stake, is also part-owned by several UK airlines and airport operators. The system's operations had reportedly returned to normal by last Thursday.