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Flight disruption is expected to last for hours after a 20-minute air traffic control outage grounded planes and suspended take-offs across the UK.
Air traffic control provider Nats has said its systems are fully operational again and air traffic capacity is returning to normal – but that there is a backlog of flights following the outage.
“Departures at all airports have resumed and we are working with affected airlines and airports to clear the backlog safely. We apologise to everyone affected by this issue,” the provider said.
Thousands of passengers have been left stranded across Europe after planes were diverted, some returning all the way to their departure cities.
Travellers are stuck on planes even after they are landed, have had flights turn around mid-air, and have been left in confusion due to “terrible communication”, they have told The Independent.
Gatwick, London City, 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
UK air traffic control outage: Key pointsBritish Airways says flights limited until 7:15pm
British Airways said the number of its inbound and outbound flights at Heathrow is restricted to a total of 32 per hour until 7.15pm.
After then the flow rate will return to the usual level of 45 per hour.
Alex Croft30 July 2025 18:28
Lib Dems call for full investigation into air traffic control glitch
A full investigation into Wednesday’s air traffic control glitch must be launched, the Liberal Democrats said.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: “It is utterly unacceptable that after a major disruption just two years ago, air traffic control has once again been hit by a technical fault.
“With thousands of families preparing to go on a well-earned break, this just isn’t good enough.
“The Government should launch an urgent investigation to ensure the system is fit for purpose, including ruling out hostile action as a cause.
“The public deserve to have full confidence in such a vital piece of national infrastructure.”
Alex Croft30 July 2025 18:26
Watch: Major air traffic control outage grounds flights across the UKMajor air traffic control outage grounds flights across the UK
Alex Croft30 July 2025 18:21
Air traffic control should be far more robust, says British couple stranded in Malta
John and Julie Rusher have been stranded in Malta Airport as they wait for their flight from Birmingham to arrive to take them back to the Midlands.
The plane left Birmingham two hours late, Mr Rusher says.
“Our delay will be at least 2 and a half hours and that doesn’t account for any lingering air traffic control issues at Birmingham on our return,” he adds.
“We are experienced travellers and we are comfortable and having something to eat. This is the 3rd Ryanair flight in 10 weeks with air traffic control delays. Yet I can order a meal to my table with my phone.
“I believe air traffic control should be the most robust system commercially and for security and safety. Clearly is isn’t at this busy time of the year.”
John and Julie Rusher are stuck in Malta airport (John Rusher)
Alex Croft30 July 2025 18:11
What rights do you have to compensation for cancelled flights?
Travellers may be entitled to care while they wait – but not, as this was beyond the control of airlines, compensation. But your rights depend on where your flight begins and the airline involved.
For all flights from the UK and EU airports (as well as those in the wider EEA), European air passengers’ rights rules prevail. These were introduced in 2006 and are known as EC261. After Brexit, the UK copied and pasted the same regulations into British law as UK261.
The rules were devised to require airlines to do the right thing for their passengers. They specify the care and compensation you can expect when your plane is cancelled or heavily delayed.
Travel correspondent Simon Calder writes:
Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:58
Thousands of passengers face travel chaos as the world’s busiest airspace closes down
Travel Correspondent Simon Calder writes:
Many thousands of passengers are stranded at airports across Europe after their planes were diverted.
Just 20 minutes of disruption is enough to traumatise the UK’s aviation system. London handles far more airline passengers than any other city in the world.
Gatwick is the planet’s busiest single runway airport, with landings and take-offs as little as 65 seconds apart. Heathrow is the world’s busiest two-runway airport.
Dozens of flights to both airports have been diverted.
To Heathrow, incoming long-haul flights from Hanoi and Taipei are on the ground at Frankfurt. British Airways arrivals from Marseille, Zurich and Athens are in Brussel.
The Virgin Atlantic flight from Lagos is in Paris CDG, along with many flights that were heading for Gatwick – including easyJet services from Naples, Kefalonia and Corfu.
A worry for easyJet is that flights diverted to Switzerland from Bodrum, Rhodes and Chania are very long sectors, and the pilots and cabin crew may run out of hours.
Even domestic flights are affected, with British Airways passengers from Aberdeen to Heathrow currently in Newcastle.
To Luton, the easyJet flight from Lyon is in Paris, while Ryanair from Athens is in Cologne.
Britain Air Traffic Delays (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:45
Ryanair calls on Nats CEO to resign after system failure
Ryanair has called on Nats CEO Martin Rolfe to resign after a system failure has caused flight delays across the UK.
“It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption due to Martin Rolfe’s continued mismanagement of NATS. Yet another ATC system failure has resulted in the closure of UK airspace meaning thousands of passengers’ travel plans have been disruptedm” said Ryanair COO Neal McMahon.
“It is clear that no lessons have been learnt since the Aug’ 23 NATS system outage and passengers continue to suffer as a result of Martin Rolfe’s incompetence.
“If NATS CEO Martin Rolfe fails to resign on the back of this latest NATS system outage that has disrupted thousands of passengers yet again, then UK Transport Minister Heidi Alexander must act without delay to remove Martin Rolfe and deliver urgent reform of NATS’s shambolic ATC service, so that airlines and passengers are no longer forced to endure these preventable delays caused by persistent NATS failures.”
Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:39
Systems were down for just 20 minutes
The Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin writes:
The disruption at British airports has been caused by systems being down for just 20 minutes, The Independent understands.
Passengers are experiencing major delays in the wake of the traffic control issues, which has seen planes grounded and planes diverted to other areas.
Travellers have been warned that continued disruption is expected and they should check with individual airports for advice.
Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:26
Air traffic capacity returning, says provider
Air traffic control provider Nats has said that its systems are fully operational again, and that air traffic capacity is returning to normal.
Airports are now working to address a significant backlog in flights.
This backlog developed despite there being only 20 minutes between the announcements by Nats that its system was down and later that it was restored.
“Our systems are fully operational and air traffic capacity is returning to normal,” Nats said on X.
“Departures at all airports have resumed and we are working with affected airlines and airports to clear the backlog safely. We apologise to everyone affected by this issue.
Flights across the UK are being disrupted after air traffic control provider Nats suffered a technical problem (Hannah McKay/PA) (PA Archive)
Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:26
‘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 17:17