Air traffic outage live: More than 150 flights cancelled as airlines demand answers over glitch
Traffic control issues have grounded planes in the London area, including at Heathrow airport

“Departures at all airports have resumed and we are working with affected airlines and airports to clear the backlog safely,” the provider said.
“This was a radar-related issue which was resolved by quickly switching to the back-up system during which time we reduced traffic to ensure safety,” Nats said, adding that there was “no evidence this was cyber-related”.
Thousands of passengers have been left stranded across Europe after planes were diverted, some returning to their departure cities.
Travellers are stuck on planes even after landing, have had flights turn around mid-air, and have been left confused by “terrible communication” from airlines, they told The Independent.
Gatwick, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Heathrow, and Manchester Airports were all among the airports across the UK affected by the outage.
Have you been affected by the air traffic control shutdown? If so, please email alex.croft@independent.co.uk
Recap: What happened last time air traffic control collapsed?
Nearly two years ago, more than 700,000 passengers suffered disruption when flights were grounded at UK airports on August 28.
It happened after ATC provider National Air Traffic Services (Nats) suffered a technical glitch while processing a flight plan.
Travel correspondent Simon Calder takes a look at what happened that day:
Alex Croft30 July 2025 22:31
No evidence of cyber crime-related cause, says Nats
A spokesperson from Nats has told The Independent that there is no evidence that the technical glitch earlier on Wednesday was related to cyber crime.
“This was a radar related issue which was resolved by quickly switching to the back up system during which time we reduced traffic to ensure safety,” the spokesperson said.
“There is no evidence that this was cyber related.”
Alex Croft30 July 2025 22:09
Traveller says flight was cancelled while on tarmac
A man travelling home with his family said he was told his flight had been cancelled while on the tarmac.
Baptiste, travelling back to France, who did not want to give his full name, said he did not know why his flight was cancelled.
He said: “We have no information. When we arrived, we were stopped on the tarmac and in the plane. We learned that our flight had been cancelled. We’re going to Geneva in Switzerland, so we’re trying to find a flight for tomorrow and a hotel.
“I don’t know why we’re in this situation, but we’re used to strikes in France, so we’re thinking that we’re not the only ones in Europe to be in a situation like this.
“This is our last flight. We left Polynesia, we went through Los Angeles and now we’re coming to London to get back down to Geneva.
“And we’re thinking it’s better to be on the way back than on the way out.”
Alex Croft30 July 2025 22:03
'Chaos and confusion - the communication is terrible'
Earlier, we brought you news that Zara Metcalf, a passenger at Manchester Airport, had been told her flight to Croatia was delayed by six hours.
Passengers have now been informed to board immediately, she tells The Independent.
“We were about to board the flight and were told all flights were grounded! We were then advised of a 6 hour delay,” Ms Metcalf said.
“There’s chaos and confusion across the airport as now we apparently need to board immediately!
“Very frustrating and the communication is terrible,” she added.
Alex Croft30 July 2025 21:34
Get in touch with your experiences
Have you been affected by the air traffic control outage and flight delays across the country?
Tell us all about your experience and what is going on in the airport right now. You can get in touch by email at alex.croft@independent.co.uk
Alex Croft30 July 2025 21:10
Government joins investigation of cause of technical glitch
The Department for Transport has said it is working with Nats to investigate the cause of the technical issue which has caused travel chaos around Europe.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “While passengers should continue to check with individual airports for advice, Nats have confirmed their systems are now fully operational and flights are returning to normal.
“We are working closely with Nats to understand the cause of the technical issue and the implications for the resilience systems in place.”
The department noted that the Transport Secretary does not have any direct control over Nats and has no powers on staffing decisions.
Alex Croft30 July 2025 20:33
'We received no warning of cancellations - it's rubbish'
John Carr, who we earlier reported feared he might miss his brother’s wedding due to the travel chaos, said they didn’t receive any warning of the cancellation before it happened.
He said: “We had no idea. There was nothing that the airport had said out on the speaker phones, or anything like that. There was no warning from them or the airline that said it was cancelled. It’s rubbish. There’s nothing we can do.”
He was waiting outside with the luggage they retrieved from bag drop while their friends tried to rebook flights inside the terminal.
“We don’t know what we’re going to do tonight in terms of accommodation,” he said.
“We have put our cars in special car compounds for the next six days.”
Alex Croft30 July 2025 20:11
Stranded passengers may have rights to food or a hotel stay
Consumer organisation Which? has advised that passengers who have suffered delays or cancellations could have rights to food or a hotel stay.
“If your flight is cancelled or delayed, you’re unlikely to be owed compensation by the airline as the technical issue is considered an ‘extraordinary circumstance’ and out of the airline’s control,” its deputy editor Naomi Leach said.
“However, you do have a right to food or a hotel stay depending on the length of the delay but be sure you keep the receipts as you will need to claim this back from the airline.”
Alex Croft30 July 2025 19:55
80 flights cancelled to and from UK, analysts say
Flight analystics firm Cirium is reporting that 80 flights to and from the UK have been cancelled as a result of the air traffic outage as of 5:30pm today.
Hundreds of passengers have been left stranded across Europe as a result.
Many remain stuck on planes sitting on airport tarmac - with no news of when their flight might get moving.
Alex Croft30 July 2025 19:51
Man fears missing brother's wedding after flight cancellations
A man whose plane was cancelled from Heathrow Airport after air traffic control provider Nats suffered a technical issue, said he was worried he would miss his brother’s wedding.
John Carr, a chiropodist from Stourbridge, was on his way to Norway with a group of friends to help set up his brother’s wedding, for which he is best man, when he found out after checking in his flight was cancelled.
The 35-year-old told the PA news agency from outside Terminal 3 he was stressed.
He said: “I’m pretty gutted. We’ve got loads of stuff in the suitcases to set up the venue, because we’re obviously flying to Norway. We’ve got the wedding rehearsal to do. It’s quite stressful.”
His friend James Hedges, also from Stourbridge, added: “We found out today; we’d already checked in and gone through the security checks.
“We were in the departures lounge, and we were literally sitting down having a burger when it came up on the (screen). Our flight was still showing as if it was leaving, and they were waiting to give us a gate and that that would be given at 4.45pm. When that time came around, it then switched to cancelled.”
Alex Croft30 July 2025 19:20