UK flight departures disrupted by air traffic control issue

The issue is impacting flight departures from multiple airports, including Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh. Arrivals at Heathrow and other airports are currently not affected. Nats (National Air Traffic Services), the UK's air traffic control provider, confirmed the problem and is currently working to resolve it. UK airport departures disrupted due to air traffic control issue ℹ️ Technical issue We are investigating a technical issue which is causing some disruption to flight departures. Our engineers are on site and we will provide an update as soon as we can. (1/2) — NATS (@NATS) September 8, 2026 A Nats spokesperson said: "We are investigating a technical issue which is causing some disruption to flight departures. "Our engineers are on site and we will provide an update as soon as we can. "We apologise for the delay this will cause to journeys, passengers should check with their airline on the status of their flight." Heathrow Airport confirmed the disruption in a statement, emphasising that only departing flights are affected. A Heathrow spokesperson 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." Passengers have been advised to check with their airlines for the latest information before travelling to the airport. Heathrow apologised to affected customers and said it is supporting Nats in resolving the issue. Nats provides air traffic control services to 15 UK airports, with other airports also reported as being affected. Edinburgh Airport confirmed the problem "may impact operations," while Jersey Airport and Belfast City Airport also warned of disruption. Birmingham Airport stated the disruption was affecting airspace in the south of the UK and urged passengers to arrive as scheduled and contact airlines for updates. Manchester Airport Group, which operates Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports, also confirmed that flights from all three had been affected by the air traffic control issue. Have you been affected by the issue? Let us know in the comments.