Heathrow & Gatwick Flight Disruption Today: What to Do If You're Affected

Passengers across the UK are facing a difficult day of travel after National Air Traffic Services (NATS) identified a technical fault in the system it uses to process flight plans. The knock-on effect has been felt at airports right across the country, with Heathrow and Gatwick among the hardest hit alongside Manchester, Birmingham and London City.

What caused today's disruption?

NATS said the fault sat within its flight processing system and confirmed a fix had been put in place, though it warned that clearing the backlog of delayed and rerouted flights would take time. The organisation, which handles air traffic control for the majority of UK airspace, said there was no indication the issue was linked to a cyberattack or other malicious activity.

Which airports were affected?

Heathrow and Gatwick saw hundreds of delayed departures and arrivals between them, with London City among the worst affected in percentage terms. Manchester and Birmingham also reported significant knock-on delays, and airports including Stansted, Bristol, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow confirmed they were feeling the effects too, with some disruption reported reaching Ireland and connecting flights from continental Europe.

What should I do if my flight is delayed or cancelled?

Check your airline's app or website directly rather than relying on the departures board alone — airlines were updating passengers individually as they reworked their schedules through the day. If you're still due to travel, head to the airport as planned unless your airline tells you otherwise, since gate and check-in operations were continuing to run alongside the delays.

How does this affect a pre-booked airport transfer?

This is exactly the kind of day flight tracking exists for. With BA Transfer, your driver's pickup time is tied to your actual landing time, not your original scheduled time, so a NATS-caused delay doesn't put your transfer at risk or leave you being charged for a missed pickup. If your flight is cancelled outright and rebooked for another day, contact us and we'll move your transfer to match — there's no need to rebook separately.

Do I have any rights if my flight is delayed or cancelled?

UK and EU rules on denied boarding and long delays generally carve out "extraordinary circumstances" beyond an airline's control, and an air traffic control system failure typically falls into that category — so compensation rules that apply to, say, a technical fault with the aircraft itself may not apply here. Airlines are still required to look after delayed passengers with care such as meals, refreshments and rebooking, so ask your airline directly about what support is available if you're facing a long wait.

Frequently asked questions

Is Heathrow open today?

Yes — Heathrow remained open throughout, but with a high number of delays and cancellations as airlines managed the knock-on effects of the NATS technical failure.

Will my pre-booked transfer still come if my flight is delayed?

Yes. BA Transfer tracks your flight and adjusts your pickup automatically to your actual landing time, at no extra charge, whatever the reason for the delay.

What if my flight is cancelled and rebooked for tomorrow?

Contact us and we'll move your transfer booking to match your new flight time free of charge — you don't need to cancel and rebook separately.

Is this the same kind of issue as previous NATS failures?

NATS described today's problem as a fault in its flight processing system, and airlines including Ryanair and Wizz Air were publicly critical of it being a repeat-style failure. NATS has not published a detailed root cause.

Should I still go to the airport if I have a flight today?

Follow your airline's guidance — most were advising passengers to check in as normal and get updates directly from them rather than relying on general news reports.