Air traffic failure was avoidable, says Transport Secretary
UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander states the Nats technical failure was avoidable, ordering an independent review after over 2,000 flights were cancelled.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- A technical failure in the UK air traffic control system disrupted operations for four hours.
- Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander ordered an independent Civil Aviation Authority review within six months.
- Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe faced calls to resign after the company's third major fault in three years.
- More than 2,000 flights were cancelled, severely impacting major airports like Heathrow and Gatwick.
A technical failure within the United Kingdom air traffic control system triggered widespread flight disruptions, prompting the Transport Secretary to declare that the incident could have been prevented following a four-hour system outage on Tuesday.
Heidi Alexander addressed the House of Commons to announce an independent investigation by the aviation watchdog into the operations managed by Nats. The disruption extended into a second consecutive day, forcing the cancellation of over 2,000 flights and leaving numerous passengers stranded across UK airports.
Following a discussion with Nats Chief Executive Martin Rolfe, Alexander confirmed that a cyberattack had been ruled out, though she maintained a firm stance on accountability.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
"I do not believe this issue was unavoidable."
Nats issued an apology for its third major technical malfunction over a three-year period. Alexander stated she discussed with Rolfe how the organization—which is 49% government-owned—responded to resolve and minimize the disruption. Earlier on Wednesday, the government expressed confidence in Rolfe, who has led Nats for 11 years, despite demands for his resignation from carriers such as Wizz Air and Ryanair.
The Nats outage highlights the vulnerability of critical national infrastructure heavily reliant on automated flight processing systems. Operating from centers in Swanwick and Prestwick, these systems process continuous operational data for airspace controllers. Technical failures at this scale propagate rapidly, causing cascading delays throughout European networks and primary hubs like Heathrow and Gatwick.
Nats has been instructed to investigate the incident and submit a report within one week, while Alexander requested a separate independent review from the Civil Aviation Authority to deliver updates over the next six months. Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, criticized the existing structural framework, noting that airlines absorb financial liabilities for operational errors while responsible entities face minimal financial consequences.
This disruption follows previous high-profile incidents, including a 2023 computer shutdown during the August bank holiday that affected 700,000 passengers, alongside a smaller outage in 2025. The latest glitch originated at the Swanwick Centre in Hampshire before engineers restored processing capabilities. Major hubs including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham experienced the most severe backlog effects as operations gradually resumed.
Source: BBC Business
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