Air Traffic Control Glitch Disrupts Northern UK Flights

WHO:

ABC News - NATS (National Air Traffic Services) is involved in managing air traffic control.

ABC News - EasyJet is an airline affected by the disruption.

WHAT:

ABC News - NATS stated that the disruption is due to a "connectivity issue with part of our systems network."

ABC News - NATS reported that flights heading north and flights departing Scottish airports are currently subject to some delay.

BBC - NATS reported that the disruption was due to a "connectivity issue with part of our systems network."

ABC News - Flights in and out of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the north of England are facing disruption due to a technical issue.

ABC News - The disruption is unconnected with a previous software glitch that led to the cancellation of over 2,000 flights in and out of the United Kingdom.

WHERE:

ABC News - The technical issue is being investigated at the Prestwick center in Scotland.

ABC News - Airports south of Manchester, including those in and out of London, are “broadly unaffected” by the disruption.

WHY:

ABC News - NATS confirmed that the current disruption had "nothing to do" with the previous software defect that caused the cancellation of 2,000 flights.

ABC News - EasyJet stated that the latest flight disruption “once again, calls into question the resilience of NATS’s systems and demonstrates the need for firm actions to prevent these repeated failures."

Reddit Conspiracy - NATS stated that the current disruption had "nothing to do" with the previous software defect that caused the cancellation of 2,000 flights.

HOW:

ABC News - NATS engineers are continuing to investigate the technical issue affecting air traffic control.

(UPDATED September 21, 2026 19:58 UTC)

NATS has reported a disruption caused by a connectivity issue with part of their systems network. They confirmed that this current problem has nothing to do with the previous software defect that led to the cancellation of two thousand flights. The agency is working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible to restore normal operations.

(UPDATED September 21, 2026 17:01 UTC)

Flights heading north and those departing from Scottish airports are currently experiencing delays, according to NATS. EasyJet has expressed concern over the latest disruptions, stating that it raises questions about the resilience of NATS's systems and highlights the need for decisive actions to prevent these ongoing issues. This situation continues to affect travelers and airline operations across the region.

(UPDATED September 21, 2026 15:01 UTC)

NATS has reported a disruption due to a connectivity issue with part of their systems network. They clarified that this current disruption has nothing to do with the previous software defect that led to the cancellation of two thousand flights. The situation is being monitored closely as they work to resolve the issue.

(UPDATED September 21, 2026 10:57 UTC)

Air traffic control is currently facing disruption due to a technical issue being investigated at the Prestwick center in Scotland, impacting flights in and out of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the north of England. EasyJet has expressed concerns about the reliability of NATS's systems, emphasizing the need for decisive actions to prevent these recurring failures. Meanwhile, airports south of Manchester, including those in and out of London, are reported to be broadly unaffected by the situation.