A significant failure in the United Kingdom's air traffic control system on Wednesday led to the grounding of approximately 1,300 flights, stranding thousands of passengers and causing extensive disruption.
The National Air Traffic Service (NATS), which manages air traffic for 15 UK airports, experienced a system failure that resulted in widespread flight cancellations and delays. Among those affected was actress Rebel Wilson, who shared her experience of being stuck at Heathrow Airport.
Hundreds of flights to and from UK hubs were canceled on Wednesday, with knock-on effects felt at major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Stansted. Passengers faced significant delays, with some reporting being stuck on planes for hours and sleeping on airport floors overnight as they awaited updates.
Martin Rolfe, the boss of NATS, apologized for the disruption, stating that a thorough investigation into the cause would be conducted. He ruled out a cyber attack and suggested the issue was unprecedented in his 50 years of operation. "Inevitably, things do go wrong in complex systems," Rolfe said in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "We never want them to. We always hope they won't, but we absolutely plan for them to and make sure we handle them properly."
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was scheduled to meet with Rolfe and address Members of Parliament on Thursday regarding the incident.
Ryanair and other airlines criticized NATS and called for Rolfe's resignation. Ryanair's chief operating officer, Neal McMahon, stated that the failure was caused by the same issue as a 2023 technical glitch, which involved a "spurious flight plan" that caused the system to shut down. "The failing is that the backup system was unable to kick in and work, like it's not a backup system if it shuts down," McMahon said. Ryanair reported that more than 65,000 of its passengers were disrupted, with over 50 flights canceled, and projected losses into the millions.
British Airways also reported that more than 100 flights were canceled or diverted, affecting tens of thousands of customers.
Disruption was expected to continue, with passengers warned to check their flight status before traveling. Some airlines indicated that the impact could last until the end of the month. The disruption has raised questions about the resilience of the UK's air traffic control systems and the preparedness for such failures.