Flights were at first kept from taking off at Gatwick and Heathrow, before the issue quickly expanded across the UK’s airport network.
This was due to an air traffic control issue at the National Air Traffic Services (NATS).
The problem was resolved soon after news broke of issues arising, with flights resuming at most airports after around 40 minutes.
ℹ️ Technical issue at Swanwick
Our systems are fully operational and air traffic capacity is returning to normal.
(1/2) https://t.co/69ftwzLeSK pic.twitter.com/KKDercVfqa— NATS (@NATS) July 30, 2025
In a statement, NATS said: “Our engineers have now restored the system that was affected this afternoon.
“We are in the process of resuming normal operations in the London area.
“We continue to work closely with airline and airport customers to minimise disruption.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.”
What happened at UK airports today?
The issue that caused disruption today was detected at the NATS Swanwick air traffic control centre.
All flights were impacted, with Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham among the airports reporting delays.
ℹ️ Update for passengers. pic.twitter.com/lIo29Qop4l
— London Stansted Airport (@STN_Airport) July 30, 2025
After saying engineers were “working hard to resolve the problem”, NATS said the issue had been resolved around 30 minutes after the news broke.
They did not know how long the delays would be to flights amid the disruption, but many airports got their journeys underway quite quickly afterwards.
A Heathrow spokesperson said: “Flights at Heathrow have resumed following a technical issue at the NATS Swanwick air traffic control centre.
“We are advising passengers to check with their airline before travelling. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
Meanwhile, Stansted Airport said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter): “The issue affecting national air traffic control systems has been resolved meaning inbound and outbound flights are now operating again.
“There may be some ongoing impact to flight schedules so passengers due to travel are advised to consult their airlines for updates.”
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Delays have affected all airports working through the backlog and London City Airport said some flights may be cancelled.
Flights in the Channel Islands have also been delayed as part of the technical problems.
At the time of writing, NATS has not confirmed what caused the issue with its air traffic control system.
