UK air traffic chief rules out cyber attack after Heathrow disruption

The head of UK air traffic control ruled out a cyber attack as the cause of a major software failure that canceled hundreds of flights, primarily at London's Heathrow Airport, on Tuesday. NATS chief Martin Rolfe stated the incident was unprecedented in 50 years of operations. Flight tracking data showed 1,300 flights canceled on Tuesday, with 177 more by early Wednesday, affecting Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick, Birmingham, and Manchester airports. The technical issue was resolved by 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, but backlogged flights, misplaced aircraft, and crew shift limits caused continued disruption into Wednesday. Airlines sharply criticized NATS, citing this as the third major failure in three years, following a radar issue in July 2025 and a flight plan processing collapse in August 2023. Ryanair's COO called the failure "abhorrent," while Wizz Air expressed disappointment over disruption outside airlines' control.