Over 600 flights cancelled as London's Heathrow, Manchester among UK airports hit by technical issue

There appeared to be no reported impact on incoming flights. The cause of the technical issue was not immediately known.

Updated on: Sep 8, 2026, 23:08:22 IST

By HT News Desk

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Over 600 flights were cancelled on Tuesday after air traffic control provider NATS experienced a technical issue, with Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted among the hubs affected by cancellations and delays, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.

Travellers check on a departure board displaying cancelled flights at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4, in Greater London, Britain. (REUTERS/File Photo)

“We have identified that the issue was in our flight processing system. Our engineers are on site and working urgently to resume normal operations as quickly as possible. We recognise the ongoing disruption to travel, for which we sincerely apologise,” NATS said in a statement.

“Flights are still departing and airspace is open, but recovery will take some time,” it added.

UK airports hit by tech snag

Flightradar24, a website that tracks flights, said on social media that the problem had led to strict controls on both arriving and departing flights at airports across the London flight information region.

Edinburgh Airport said in a post on X that its operations could also be affected by the problem. Dublin Airport in Ireland said flights arriving at and departing from the airport were experiencing disruptions as well.

London Luton and Birmingham airports were among those reporting delays or cancellations, along with Aberdeen and Glasgow. Dublin Airport also said some incoming and outgoing flights would face delays.

British Airways said the technical problem was disrupting its flights. "This is entirely out of our control and we're in touch with our customers whilst our teams work to get them on their way as quickly as possible," the airline said in a statement.

There appeared to be no reported impact on incoming flights. The cause of the technical issue was not immediately known.

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HT News Desk
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