UK air traffic control failure hits Heathrow, Gatwick: What passengers should do

Passengers at some of Britain's busiest airports are facing long waits after an air traffic control problem delayed flights across the country on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Heathrow and Gatwick have been among the worst hit, while flights from Stansted, Manchester and several other airports have also been affected.

The problem started on Tuesday afternoon when NATS, which controls much of Britain's airspace, reported a technical issue.

For anyone sitting at the airport watching their departure time being pushed back again and again, there is some good news: flights have not completely stopped.

Planes have continued to land at Heathrow, while some departures have also managed to get away, although several were running more than two hours late.

NATS said its engineers were working on the problem and advised passengers to check directly with their airlines.

And that is probably the first thing you should do if you have a flight today.

What passengers should do

Don't simply decide not to turn up because your flight is showing a long delay. Unless the airline tells you otherwise, follow its check-in instructions and keep an eye on its app, emails or text messages.

If you are already stuck at the airport, you also have rights that are easy to forget when everything is going wrong.

For qualifying UK flights, airlines have to provide food and drink once a delay reaches a certain length: two hours for shorter flights, three hours for medium-distance journeys and four hours for long-haul flights.

If nobody offers you a voucher, ask the airline first. If you end up having to buy reasonable food and drinks yourself, keep the receipts. You may be able to claim that money back later.

And if the delay leaves you stranded overnight, your airline should normally arrange a hotel and transport to and from it.

There is also a five-hour rule worth knowing.

If your flight is delayed for at least five hours and you no longer want to travel, you can choose not to take the flight and ask for a refund.

Cash compensation is less straightforward. Passengers who arrive more than three hours late can sometimes claim between £220 and £520, but airlines normally don't have to pay when the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances outside their control.

An air traffic control problem could fall into that category depending on what caused it, so don't count on compensation just yet.

Eurocontrol warned that disruption over London, southern England and Wales could continue into the evening.

That also means fixing the technical problem may not immediately fix your journey. Aircraft and crews knocked out of position can leave delays behind even after traffic starts moving again.

So if you're flying today: check with your airline, don't skip check-in without being told to, and keep every receipt if the wait starts costing you money.