UK flight cancellations reach nearly 300 after air traffic control glitch

firstpost.com — September 8, 2026 at 06:01 PM UTC

Nearly 300 flights were cancelled across the UK on Tuesday after a technical glitch hit the country's air traffic control system, disrupting operations at several major airports. The issue affected multiple airlines, including British Airways, EasyJet, KLM and Lufthansa. National Air Traffic Services (NATS) identified the problem in its flight processing system and implemented a fix, with operations beginning to recover. Airports including Heathrow, Stansted, London City, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh reported delays and cancellations, while Dublin Airport in Ireland also faced disruptions. The technical issue primarily affected departing flights, with no immediate reports of significant impact on incoming services. Authorities had not disclosed the cause of the failure, and NATS warned passengers to expect continued disruption while normal operations were restored.

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