Thu Jul 31 00:59:22 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

A technical glitch at the UK’s air traffic control service, NATS, caused widespread flight cancellations and delays at major UK airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick, on July 31, 2025. The issue, which limited the number of aircraft in London’s airspace, was reportedly resolved within an hour, but the disruption affected numerous flights during the peak summer holiday travel season. Airline executives expressed outrage, demanding accountability and improved system resilience from NATS, especially after a similar major failure in 2023. The Department for Transport is investigating the cause of the problem.

**News Article:**

**UK Air Travel Chaos as Technical Glitch Grounds Flights**

**London -** Thousands of passengers faced travel chaos across the United Kingdom on Wednesday, July 31, 2025, after a technical fault at the nation’s air traffic control service (NATS) led to widespread flight cancellations and delays. Major airports, including London’s Heathrow and Gatwick, as well as Edinburgh, were affected.

NATS confirmed a “technical issue” that limited the number of aircraft in London’s airspace. While the problem was reportedly resolved within an hour, the disruption left a significant impact on air travel during the peak of the summer holiday season. As of 7:30 pm GMT, at least 67 departures and 55 arrivals had been cancelled.

The incident has sparked outrage from airline chiefs. Ryanair COO Neal McMahon called for the resignation of NATS CEO Martin Rolfe, citing a lack of lessons learned from a similar, major systems failure in August 2023 that stranded thousands of passengers. EasyJet COO David Morgan echoed the sentiment, calling the failure “extremely disappointing” and demanding NATS outline measures to prevent future disruptions.

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport stated that they are “working closely” with NATS to investigate the cause of the glitch and assess the resilience of existing systems. The root of the problem was traced to NATS’ control centre in Swanwick, southwest England.

This incident raises serious questions about the reliability of the UK’s air traffic control infrastructure, particularly given the recurrence of similar failures in recent years. The long-term impact on passenger confidence and the need for investment in more robust systems are now under intense scrutiny.

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