What we know about UK air traffic control failure causing flight delays and cancellations

Published

2 years ago

August 28, 2023

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Air travel in the UK has been disrupted after air traffic control systems suffered a “technical fault” on Monday morning.

The issue was “identified and remedied” around 3.30pm on Monday – but that doesn’t mean a swift end to disruption.

Here’s what we know so far.

What is the fault?

NATS, the National Air Traffic Controllers said it had “identified and remedied” the technical issue affecting its flight planning system.

“We are now working closely with airlines and airports to manage the flights affected as efficiently as possible,” it said in a statement.

“Our engineers will be carefully monitoring the system’s performance as we return to normal operations.”

The fault had affected the system’s ability to automatically process flight plans, which means they had to be inputted manually by staff.

As this cannot be done at the same speed, traffic flow restrictions had to be enforced.

Earlier on Monday NATS said it had been hit by a “technical issue” but said the UK’s airspace was “not closed”.

They reduced the number of aircraft that could take off and land at a given time to manage flow.

What’s happening to flights?

For passengers, the changes to traffic flow restrictions means delays and possible cancellations.

Flights were being held on the tarmac or diverted to airports in Ireland or mainland Europe, travel journalist Simon Calder told Sky News.

“There are hundreds of planes up in the sky heading to the UK,” he said – meaning hundreds of thousands of passengers could be affected.

The August bank holiday is one of the busiest days of the year for air travel.

Mr Calder said some flights would be able to land as air traffic controllers switched from digital to “much more analogue” systems, but the rate would be much slower.

How long could the disruption last?

Even if the issue was fixed quickly, the system would likely be in “disarray” for at least the rest of Monday and possibly longer, Mr Calder said.

Aviation analyst and former BA pilot Alastair Rosenschein told Sky News it was “very difficult” to say when things would be back to normal.

But he offered some reassurance, saying the disruption looked to be “delays of hours rather than anything longer”.

He said the issues appeared to be a case of “patchy failure rather than total shutdown”.

Which airports are reporting disruption?

Airlines have released similar statements while they assess the likely impact of the situation.

Dublin Airport said there were some delays to flights in and out of the airport due to Air Traffic Control issues in the UK

“We advise all passengers due to travel today to check the status of their flight with their airline in advance of travelling,” it said.

Ireland’s Cork Airport has said the air traffic control issues are causing delays for some departing and arriving flights.

Gatwick Airport has warned cancellations are “likely” and it is “seeing delays”, after earlier saying flights were running as normal.

Luton Airport says: “We are aware of an air traffic control issue affecting UK airspace, resulting in disruption to flights.

“We are working with all relevant authorities to understand the full impact of the issue and when normal operations are likely to resume.

“Passengers should check with their airline for the latest status of their flight.”

Birmingham Airport says: “We are working to understand the full impacts of the air traffic control failure across UK airspace, and the likely timescales for to be resolved.

“Customers due to fly in or out of BHX are advised to keep a close eye on the latest information from their airlines, as well as live flight data on our website and on screens in our terminal.”

Heathrow Airport says it is “working closely” with NATS and other airports to “minimise the impact” on passengers. ‘

Stansted Airport says it is “fully operational” and is not experiencing any issues.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport warned of disruption, saying: “Whilst aircraft will be loaded on time, some flights may be subject to a delay.”

Newcastle International Airport says passengers face “disruption” and “some cancellations”.

Edinburgh Airport asks passengers “not [to] come to the airport before checking with their airline on the status of their flight”.

What are airlines saying?

Scottish airline Loganair, one of the first to report disruption, said there was a “network-wide failure of UK air traffic control computer systems” on Monday morning.

“Although we are hopeful of being able to operate most intra-Scotland flights on the basis of local coordination and with a minimum of disruption, north-south and international flights may be subject to delays,” the airline posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

It urged passengers to check its website for updates.

British Airways said it had been forced to make “significant changes” to its bank holiday schedule.

“If you are travelling on a short-haul service today, Monday August 28, please do not travel to the airport without checking the status of your flight, as it may no longer be operating,” the airline said.

EasyJet said: “We are providing customers on cancelled flights with the option to transfer their flight free of charge or receive a refund.”

What should I do if I’m travelling?

If you’re due to fly in or out of the UK today, check the status of your flight with your airline – this is what each airport and airline is currently advising.

If you’re already at the airport, keep an eye on display screens.

This article will continue to be updated with all the latest information you need if you’re due to travel.

You can also follow our live blog which will have updates on what’s going on.

What are my rights if my flight is delayed?

Disruption to air traffic control counts as an “extraordinary circumstance”.

That means it is out of the airline’s control – so they don’t have to offer compensation.

But if your flight is delayed by two hours or more, airlines must offer assistance under UK law.

They have a duty to provide:
• two free phone calls, faxes or emails (often by refunding the cost of your calls)
• free meals and refreshments appropriate to the delay (often in voucher form)
• free hotel accommodation and hotel transfers if an overnight stay is required.

Sometimes airlines may be unable to provide assistance to all passengers, particularly where staff are stretched – which could be the case with the mass delays seen today.

If this is the case, the Civil Aviation Authority says passengers should organise their own assistance and claim the cost back later.

“If you end up paying for things yourself, keep every receipt and do not spend more than is reasonable,” its website says.

It cautions airlines are unlikely to reimburse for alcohol or luxury hotels. Some airlines provide guidelines on what counts as reasonable expenses.

UK

Man, 76, charged after children fell ill at summer camp

Published

5 hours ago

August 1, 2025

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Man, 76, charged after children fell ill at summer camp

A 76-year-old man has been charged with child cruelty offences after youngsters fell ill at a summer camp.

Jonathon Ruben is accused of three offences of “wilful ill treatment of a child” relating to three boys.

Police received a report of children feeling unwell at a camp being held at Stathern Lodge, near Melton in Leicestershire, on Sunday.

Officers said paramedics attended the scene and eight boys – aged between eight and 11 – were taken to hospital as a precaution, as was an adult. They have since been discharged.

Ruben will appear at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

A statement from Janine McKinney, chief crown prosecutor for CPS East Midlands, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the prosecution of a 76-year-old man with child cruelty offences following a police investigation into a summer camp held at Stathern Lodge, Leicestershire.

“This decision has been made after reviewing a file of evidence from Leicestershire Police.

“Jonathon Ruben, will be charged with three offences of wilful ill-treatment of a child relating to three boys. He will appear at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 1 August.

“This has been an extremely upsetting and shocking moment for the community, and especially for the children and parents most directly affected.”

Leicestershire Police said the owners and operators of Stathern Lodge are separate from the people who use or hire the venue, and are not connected to the incident.

It added in a statement: “This is an active criminal investigation and we ask that people do not speculate further about the incident, particularly on social media platforms.

“Leicestershire Police continues to work closely with partners ensuring that full safeguarding is provided to all those affected.”

The force has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over its handling of the incident.

UK

What is the car finance scandal – and what could today’s ruling mean for motorists?

Published

20 hours ago

August 1, 2025

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What is the car finance scandal - and what could today's ruling mean for motorists?

The UK’s Supreme Court is set to deliver a landmark ruling today that could have billion-pound consequences for banks and impact millions of motorists.

The essential question that the country’s top court has been asked to answer is this: should customers be fully informed about the commission dealers earn on their purchase?

However, the Supreme Court is only considering one of two cases running in parallel regarding the mis-selling of car finance.

Here is everything you need to know about both cases, and how the ruling this afternoon may (or may not) affect any future compensation scheme.

What is the Supreme Court considering?

The Supreme Court case concerns complaints related to the non-disclosure of commission. This applies to 99% of car finance cases.

When you buy a car on finance, you are effectively loaned the money, which you pay off in monthly instalments. These loans carry interest, organised by the brokers (the people who sell you the finance plan).

These brokers earn money in the form of a commission (which is a percentage of the interest payments).

Last year, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of three motorists who were not informed that the car dealerships they agreed finance deals with were also being paid 25% commission, which was then added to their bills.

The ruling said it was unlawful for the car dealers to receive a commission from lenders without obtaining the customer’s informed consent to the payment.

However, British lender Close Brothers and South Africa’s FirstRand appealed the decision, landing it in the Supreme Court.

What does the second case involve?

The second case is being driven by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and involves discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs).

Under these arrangements, brokers and dealers increased the amount of interest they earned without telling buyers and received more commission for it. This is said to have incentivised sellers to maximise interest rates.

The FCA banned this practice in 2021. However, a high number of consumers have complained they were overcharged before the ban came into force. The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) said in May that they were dealing with 20,000 complaints.

In January 2024, the FCA announced a review into whether motor finance customers had been overcharged because of past use of DCAs. It is using its powers to review historical motor finance commission arrangements across multiple firms – all of whom deny acting inappropriately.

The FCA also said it is looking into a “consumer redress scheme” that means firms would need to offer appropriate compensation to customers affected by the issue.

An estimated 40% of car finance deals are likely to be eligible for compensation over motor finance deals taken out between 2007 and 2021, when the DCAs were banned.

To find out how you can tell if you’ve been mis-sold car finance, read the following explainer from our reporter Megan Harwood-Baynes.

How does the ruling affect potential compensation?

In short, the Supreme Court ruling could impact the scale and reach that a compensation scheme is likely to have.

The FCA said in March that it will consider the court’s decision and if it concludes motor finance customers have lost out from widespread failings by firms, it is “likely [to] consult on an industry-wide redress scheme”.

This would mean affected individuals wouldn’t need to complain, but they would be paid out an amount dictated by the FCA.

However, no matter what the court decides, the FCA could go ahead with a redress scheme.

The regulator said it will confirm if it is proposing a scheme within six weeks of the Supreme Court’s decision.

What impact could this have on lenders?

Analysts at HSBC said last year the controversy could be estimated to cost up to £44bn.

Alongside Close Brothers, firms that could be affected include Barclays, Santander and the UK’s largest motor finance provider Lloyds Banking Group – which organises loans through its Black Horse finance arm.

Lloyds has already set aside £1.2bn to be used for potential compensation.

The potential impact on the lending market and the wider economy could be so great that Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering intervening to overrule the Supreme Court, according to The Guardian.

Treasury officials have been looking at the potential of passing new legislation alongside the Department for Business and Trade that could slash the potential compensation bill.

The Treasury said in response to the claim that it does not “comment on speculation” but hopes to see a “balanced judgment”.

UK

Full details of Heathrow’s plans for a third runway revealed

Published

21 hours ago

August 1, 2025

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Full details of Heathrow's plans for a third runway revealed

Heathrow Airport has said it can build a third runway for £21bn within the next decade.

Europe’s busiest travel hub has submitted its plans to the government – with opponents raising concerns about carbon emissions, noise pollution and environmental impacts.

The west London airport wants permission to create a 3,500m (11,400ft) runway, but insists it is open to considering a shorter one instead.

In January, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that the government supports a “badly needed” expansion to connect the UK to the world and open up new growth opportunities.

But London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is still against a new runway because of “the severe impact” it will have on the capital’s residents.

Under Heathrow’s proposal, the runway would be constructed to the northwest of its existing location – allowing for an additional 276,000 flights per year.

The airport also wants to create new terminal capacity for 150 million annual passengers – up from 84 million – with plans involving a new terminal complex named T5XW and T5XN.

Terminal 2 would be extended, while Terminal 3 and the old Terminal 1 would be demolished.

The runway would be privately funded, with the total plan costing about £49bn, but some airlines have expressed concern that the airport will hike its passenger charges to pay for the project.

EasyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis said an expansion would “represent a unique opportunity for easyJet to operate from the airport at scale for the first time and bring with it lower fares for consumers”.

Thomas Woldbye, the airport’s chief executive, said in a statement that “it has never been more important or urgent to expand Heathrow”.

“We are effectively operating at capacity to the detriment of trade and connectivity,” he added.

“With a green light from government and the correct policy support underpinned by a fit-for-purpose, regulatory model, we are ready to mobilise and start investing this year in our supply chain across the country.

“We are uniquely placed to do this for the country. It is time to clear the way for take-off.”

The M25 motorway would need to be moved into a tunnel under the new runway under the airport’s proposal.

London mayor still opposed

Sir Sadiq says City Hall will “carefully scrutinise” the proposals, adding: “I’ll be keeping all options on the table in how we respond.”

Tony Bosworth, climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth, also said that if Sir Keir Starmer wants to be “seen as a climate leader”, then backing Heathrow expansion is “the wrong move”.

Earlier this year, Longford resident Christian Hughes told Sky News that his village and others nearby would be “decimated” if an expansion were to go ahead.

It comes after hotel tycoon Surinder Arora published a rival Heathrow expansion plan, which involves a shorter runway to avoid the need to divert the M25 motorway.

The billionaire’s Arora Group said a 2,800m (9,200ft) runway would result in “reduced risk” and avoid “spiralling cost”.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will consider all plans over the summer so that a review of the Airports National Policy Statement can begin later this year.

It also comes after Sky News reported on a Heathrow Airport-funded group sending leaflets supporting a third runway to thousands of homes across west London.

The group, called Back Heathrow, sent leaflets to people living near the airport, claiming expansion could be the route to a “greener” airport and suggesting it would mean only the “cleanest and quietest aircraft” fly there.

Opponents of the airport’s expansion said the information provided by the group is “incredibly misleading”.

Back Heathrow told Sky News it had “always been open” about the support it receives from the airport. The funding is not disclosed on Back Heathrow’s newsletter or website.