The technical failure of the UK's air traffic control system that led to widespread flight disruptions was avoidable, according to the Transport Secretary. Heidi Alexander has ordered an independent investigation into the system operated by Nats, which experienced a shutdown lasting four hours on Tuesday.
The incident resulted in the cancellation of more than 2,000 flights, with passengers facing continued disruption into a second day. Following a meeting with Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe, Alexander stated that while a cyberattack had been ruled out, "I do not believe this issue was unavoidable."
Nats has issued an apology for what is its third major technical fault in three years. Alexander discussed with Rolfe the company's response to the incident and efforts to minimize disruption. She emphasized the need for "tough questions about resilience of Nats systems" and consideration of "consumer redress issues."
Despite calls from airlines like Wizz Air and Ryanair for Rolfe, who has led Nats for 11 years, to step down, the government has expressed confidence in him. Nats has been tasked with investigating the incident and reporting back within a week. Additionally, Alexander has requested the Civil Aviation Authority conduct an independent review, with an update expected in six months.
Airlines UK, representing the country's carriers, has formally registered concerns with the Transport Secretary regarding the technical failure. The organization highlighted that this is the third major system failure in three years, causing significant disruption across the UK's aviation network. The group's chief executive, Tim Alderslade, stated that airlines often bear the financial burden for failures by other organizations, while those responsible face minimal consequences.
This is not the first time Nats' control system has experienced significant disruption. In 2023, a computer shutdown during the August bank holiday weekend caused chaos for approximately 700,000 passengers. That incident required an engineer, who had been unable to rectify the fault remotely, to travel to the site. A smaller outage occurred in 2025, leading to 150 cancellations.
Nats operates as a public-private partnership, with the government holding a majority stake. The remaining ownership is divided among a consortium of UK airlines, including British Airways, easyJet, and Virgin Atlantic, as well as Heathrow Airport and Nats employees.