UK flights disrupted as 300 cancelled after air traffic control fault

Flights across the UK faced significant disruption on Tuesday due to an air traffic control technical issue, with about 300 flights cancelled and London airports worst hit. The fault, reported early afternoon, was fixed by provider Nats by late afternoon, but recovery continued into the evening. Departures from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and London City were most affected, with few take-offs since 2pm. Ryanair reported over 65,000 passengers delayed and 50 flights cancelled, while knock-on effects hit flights across Europe, with some inbound flights held at airports abroad. This marks the third major Nats incident in just over three years, following a full grounding in August 2023 that prompted a parliamentary inquiry. Airlines renewed calls for an overhaul, with Ryanair demanding the chief executive's resignation, while Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander apologised to passengers.