Heathrow and Gatwick live: Hundreds more flights cancelled as air traffic control chaos continues, tell me about this news in (https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/heathrow-gatwick-flights-cancelled-atc-37639982)

09-09-2026

Here is a summary of the news reported by The Mirror:The live coverage reports severe flight disruptions and widespread cancellations across major UK airportsmost notably London Heathrow and London Gatwickstemming from a major technical outage in the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) air traffic control system.Key details from the report include:
  • Mass Cancellations and Delays: Following a system breakdown that affected over 1,000 flights and at least 16 UK airports on Tuesday, the ripple effects carried heavily into Wednesday. By early Wednesday morning, nearly 280 flights had already been cancelled (with 246 at Heathrow and 33 at Gatwick), and departure delays averaged between 70 and 100 minutes at major London hubs.
  • Impact on Passengers: Tens of thousands of travelers were left stranded, with many waiting on tarmac runways for hours before flights were called off. Large crowds were reported sleeping on terminal floors, facing severe baggage claim delays, and enduring long queues for customer assistance.
  • Heathrow Operations: On Tuesday evening, Heathrow temporarily suspended all incoming arrivals for the rest of the day after running out of space for inbound aircraft, because departures had been grounded for hours. Curfews were subsequently adjusted to try to clear the backlog.
  • Official Response and Accountability: NATS CEO Martin Rolfe apologized, stated that resolving the issue took longer than anticipated, and confirmed a full investigation into the fault. Rolfe stated he takes full responsibility for safety and restoring service, while facing calls to step down from airlines such as Ryanair. The UK Transport Secretary was scheduled to meet with NATS leadership regarding the incident.
  • Passenger Advice: Airlines including British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, KLM, and Eurowings continue to warn travelers of knock-on disruptions as planes and crews remain out of position. Passengers have been urged not to head to the airport unless their airline has officially confirmed that their flight is operating.


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