Heathrow and Gatwick Chaos: Several Flights Cancellations Due to ATC Technical Issue

A major technical failure at the UK's air traffic control centre has caused significant disruption to departing flights at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and other major airports today, with engineers now reporting that systems are beginning to recover.

The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) confirmed the issue originated in its flight processing system at the Swanwick control centre, triggering a near-total halt to departures across multiple airports. At Heathrow, departures were initially paused around midday before experiencing further stop-start disruptions throughout the afternoon.

Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 reported approximately 200 cancellations by late afternoon, with the total expected to rise as the recovery process continues. NATS confirmed a fix has been implemented and systems are recovering, though warned that "recovery will take some time".

Passengers reported being stranded on tarmac for extended periods. Nisha Lahiri, a passenger on a BA flight from Heathrow to Bengaluru, told the BBC she had been on board for over two and a half hours. Others described waits of up to 90 minutes after landing.

British Airways advised passengers to proceed to the airport unless contacted directly, stating the disruption was "entirely out of our control". Ryanair reported more than 65,000 passengers had been delayed by up to eight hours, with the airline criticising NATS and calling for its chief executive to resign.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed technicians had identified the issue and were working to resolve it, apologising to affected passengers. A Heathrow spokesperson said arriving flights were not initially impacted, though landings later became restricted as the system became overwhelmed.

The disruption follows previous air traffic control failures, including a 2024 incident that cost airlines over £100 million and a radar-related issue last July. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest flight information before travelling to airports.