Flights across the UK are facing delays and disruption today, 8 September 2026, due to an air traffic control issue. London airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick, are experiencing the most severe impact, with few take-offs reported since a fault emerged early on Tuesday afternoon.
The air traffic control service Nats stated at 1.46pm that it is investigating a technical issue causing disruption to flight departures. Engineers are on site, and Nats has apologised for the delays.
Heathrow Airport confirmed that planes are continuing to arrive, though Eurocontrol indicated some inbound flights are being held at airports abroad. Disruption is expected to continue until the evening. Most flights scheduled to depart from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and London City airports since 2pm appear to be delayed or have not yet taken off.