Heathrow and Gatwick among airports hit by air traffic control problems

Flights from airports in England and Ireland are being heavily disrupted by a technical problem affecting the air traffic control provider Nats.

Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, East Midlands and Dublin are among those to warn of potential delays.

At Heathrow, departures were initially paused around lunchtime. Traffic then resumed, before facing further disruption in the afternoon. It is understood that very few flights are currently taking off.

British Airways has already cancelled a number short-haul services. The airline is prioritising long-haul departures.

Gatwick said it was currently being affected by the issue, along with other airports. Easyjet, the airport’s largest carrier, confirmed it was being affected, and while the situation was fluid cancellations were to be expected.

With few aircraft able to take off, it is understood landings are being restricted, leading to some flights being prevented from departing from overseas airports.

Passengers have been advised to contact their airlines to check the status of their flights.

East Midlands has also been affected by the issue, while Manchester Airport warned that some departing flights could be delayed. Passengers have been advised to contact their airlines to check the status of their flights.

Belfast International also told passengers to check their flight information before going to the airport.

In a statement, Nats said it was investigating an issue in its flight processing system, which it said was causing some disruption to flight departures.

Engineers were on site, it said, and it was “working urgently to resume normal operations as quickly as possible”.

The organisation apologised for the delays caused and advised passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline. Nats said it would provide updates on www.nats.aero and X.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was aware of the situation., and realised it would be frustrating for passengers.

Edinburgh Airport said in a post on X that the issue might affect its operations, while Dublin and Cork airports in Ireland are also experiencing delays.

British Airways said in a statement on its website that passengers should travel to the airport as normal if they have not been contacted by the airline directly. It added that the situation was “entirely out of our control”.

Ryanair said affected passengers would be notified.