UK flights disrupted by NATS technical issue across country

A technical issue with National Air Traffic Services flight processing system has affected flight departures from multiple airports.

A Newcastle Airport spokesperson has confirmed they have been affected by the issue.

They said: “We are aware of a technical issue affecting NATS which is impacting some flights at airports across the UK.

“While some departures from Newcastle are experiencing delays, our operations have not been affected to the same extent as those at some airports in the south of the country.

“Passengers are advised to check with their airline for the latest flight information.”

A spokesman for NATS said: "Our engineers are on site and working urgently to resume normal operations as quickly as possible.

"We recognise the ongoing disruption to travel, for which we sincerely apologise.

"Flights are still departing and airspace is open, but recovery will take some time.

"We will provide further updates as soon as possible.

"Passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline."

Birmingham Airport confirmed the disruption is affecting airspace in the south of the UK and was "impacting a significant number of departing flights across the country".

Heathrow Airport, the UK's largest airport, said it was also affected by the technical issue.

A spokesman for Heathrow Airport said: "The air traffic control service NATS is experiencing a technical issue which is impacting departing flights at UK airports.

"Arriving flights are not currently impacted.

"We are supporting our local NATS team in their efforts to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

"We will provide updated information when we have it."

Manchester Airport Group, which operates Manchester, Stansted, and East Midlands airports, confirmed that flights from all three airports had been affected.

Airports in Jersey, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Southampton, and Belfast also reported some level of disruption.

Passengers have been advised to monitor flight updates directly with their airlines.

The latest issue follows a similar incident in July 2023, when a "radar-related issue" at NATS Swanwick control centre in Hampshire resulted in widespread disruption across England and Wales.

A Government source said the incident lasted around 20 minutes and the level of disruption was similar to a day with bad weather.

In August 2023, more than 700,000 passengers experienced disruption when flights were grounded at UK airports when NATS suffered a technical glitch while processing a flight plan.

A spokesman for Birmingham Airport said: "The issue is impacting a significant number of departing flights across the country."

NATS provides air traffic control services to 15 airports across the UK.

The Northern Echo has contacted Teesside Airport for comment.