A major air traffic control outage hit the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 30, 2025, causing over 150 flight cancellations and widespread delays at key airports like Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh. Officials confirm there is no evidence of malign or cyber activity behind the UK air travel disruption, with the problem traced to a technical radar fault at the NATS Swanwick air traffic control centre.
The outage began around 4:05 pm BST and lasted about 20 minutes before engineers restored the system by switching to a backup. NATS (National Air Traffic Services) stated, “There is no evidence that this was cyber related.” Flights resumed within the hour, but the backlog led to continued delays and cancellations into July 31, with airports and airlines working hard to clear the disruption.
As of the morning of July 31, 2025, 12 departures and 11 arrivals were still cancelled, and further delays were expected as the backlog was cleared. On July 30, 84 departures (3% of all departures) and 71 arrivals (2% of all arrivals) were cancelled across UK airports. London Heathrow saw the most disruption, with 29 departures and 17 arrivals cancelled. Some inbound flights were diverted to European airports, leaving thousands of passengers stranded or facing long waits.
NATS issued several statements confirming the technical nature of the outage and ongoing efforts to restore normal operations. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander met with NATS CEO Martin Rolfe and was assured the event was isolated and not due to outside interference. Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged the frustration caused, saying the issue was handled quickly but had a big impact.
Major air traffic control outage began at 4:05 pm BST
Outage lasted about 20 minutes
84 departures and 71 arrivals cancelled across UK airports
12 departures and 11 arrivals still cancelled as of the morning
Previous major air traffic control outage occurred
Airlines responded strongly. EasyJet called the disruption “extremely disappointing,” while Ryanair demanded the resignation of the NATS CEO. Passengers reported chaos, long delays, and poor communication from airlines and airports.
This event caused significant travel disruption during the busy summer holiday season, affecting both outbound and inbound flights. Passengers are advised to check with airlines and airports for the latest updates and rebooking options. NATS and airports are prioritizing safety and working to clear the backlog as quickly as possible. Airlines are rebooking affected passengers and providing updates as operations return to normal.
If your flight was cancelled, you should:
– Check your flight status directly with your airline and departure airport.
– Monitor official NATS and airport communications for real-time updates.
– Follow your airline’s rebooking or refund procedures, available online or at airport service desks.
This is the second major air traffic control technical outage in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 in two years, following a similar event in August 2023. The NATS Swanwick centre, open since 2002, manages en-route airspace over England and Wales and handles about 2.5 million flights each year.
Aviation analysts say even short technical outages can cause big problems due to the busy and complex UK airspace. Airlines and industry groups are calling for further investigation and better communication protocols. The government and NATS have promised a full investigation to prevent future incidents.
For official updates and more information, visit the UK Civil Aviation Authority. As reported by VisaVerge.com, passengers should expect some delays over the next few days as the system returns to normal, especially during the busy travel season.
Learn Today
NATS → The National Air Traffic Services organization managing UK airspace and air traffic control operations.
Radar fault → Malfunction in the radar system used to monitor and control aircraft positions in airspace.
Flight cancellations → Events where scheduled flights are officially called off due to operational disruptions or technical issues.
Air traffic control → The service responsible for directing aircraft safely through controlled airspace and airports.
Backup system → A secondary system activated automatically to maintain operations during primary system failures.
This Article in a Nutshell
A technical radar failure at NATS Swanwick disrupted UK air traffic on July 30, 2025, causing widespread flight cancellations and delays, with Heathrow severely affected. NATS quickly restored operations, confirmed no cyber involvement, and governments promised investigations to prevent future incidents during this busy travel season.
— By VisaVerge.com
