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Flight disruption returned to the UK on Monday after a technical issue at NATS’ Prestwick air traffic control centre, the second significant outage in less than two weeks, prompting fresh airline criticism and a warning that many passengers may not qualify for cash compensation under UK rules.
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Second incident in two weeks hits northern UK airspace
NATS, the UK’s main air navigation service provider, reported a technical issue early Monday, 21 September 2026 at its Prestwick centre in Scotland. Published updates indicated the issue was resolved, but knock-on effects continued to affect operations for much of the day, particularly for flights linked to Scotland, Northern Ireland, and parts of northern England.
Published coverage described cancellations and delays spreading beyond the immediate region as airlines and airports managed disrupted aircraft rotations and crew schedules. While the technical fault was addressed, the practical impact for travelers often extends for hours, and in some cases can spill into later departures as aircraft and crews are repositioned.
The incident followed a separate, major disruption on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, when NATS restricted UK airspace during a software-related problem affecting its systems. That earlier event led to widespread cancellations and delays and prompted scrutiny of resilience measures intended to prevent repeat failures.
CAA signals limited eligibility for cash compensation
Shortly after the latest outage, the UK Civil Aviation Authority published a statement indicating that disruption from the 21 September Prestwick technical issue is likely to be considered “extraordinary circumstances” under passenger rights rules. Under UK261, extraordinary circumstances generally mean airlines do not have to pay fixed-sum compensation, even when flights are delayed or cancelled.
The CAA’s guidance does not remove airlines’ separate obligations to provide “care and assistance” during qualifying delays, which can include food and refreshments, communication, and hotel accommodation with transfers when an overnight stay becomes necessary. Those duties can still apply even when the root cause is outside an airline’s control.
For passengers trying to plan next steps, the key distinction is between compensation and care. Fixed-sum compensation is often the first item travelers look for, but publicly available guidance points to air traffic management or air traffic control-related disruption as a common category that may limit payout eligibility, while still leaving airlines responsible for support during the disruption.
Ryanair renews call for sacking after latest NATS failure
Ryanair escalated its criticism after the latest outage, renewing calls for NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign, and urging Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander to remove him if he does not step down. The airline framed Monday’s disruption as a repeat failure coming less than two weeks after the 8 September incident.
In its public statements, the carrier linked the latest problem to NATS systems handling flight data processing, arguing that repeated technical breakdowns are creating avoidable disruption for passengers. Other airlines and industry voices also used the second outage in two weeks to press for clearer accountability and faster improvements to resilience and backup capabilities.
NATS has said the 21 September problem was a technical issue at Prestwick, and has advised passengers to check with their airline for the latest flight information. Industry observers note that even targeted disruptions can ripple across a highly interconnected network, particularly when aircraft are scheduled to operate several flight sectors per day.
Focus on resilience after 8 September software defect report
The renewed political and industry pressure comes just days after NATS published a preliminary report into the 8 September 2026 disruption. NATS attributed that earlier incident to a software defect in a small part of the National Airspace System, which supports the management of UK airspace.
According to the preliminary findings, the defect was linked to the processing of aircraft identification codes used to identify flights on radar when airborne. NATS indicated that although the software issue affected flights in the London Area Control Centre, restrictions had to be placed across the UK so the system could be restarted and flight data reloaded.
Published coverage has highlighted that the disruption from 8 September took time to clear, with delays and cancellations continuing after the initial technical problem was addressed. That reality, combined with Monday’s separate incident at Prestwick, has intensified questions from airlines and travelers about whether contingency systems are robust enough to prevent repeated, wide-reaching disruption.
What travelers should do now as disruption continues
For passengers due to fly during periods of air traffic control disruption, the most useful immediate step is to monitor airline rebooking messages and airport operational updates, since schedules can change repeatedly as airlines recover aircraft and crew positions. NATS has advised passengers to continue checking with their airline for the latest information.
When flights are cancelled, UK rules generally require airlines to offer a choice that can include rerouting or a refund, depending on circumstances and passenger preference. For delays, eligibility for care depends on factors including delay length and flight distance, and travelers may be asked to keep receipts where airlines instruct passengers to arrange their own meals or accommodation.
With the CAA indicating the 21 September outage is likely to be treated as an extraordinary circumstance, travelers seeking compensation will face a higher bar than in airline-at-fault disruptions. Even so, passenger rights to assistance can still matter in real terms on the day, particularly for families, those facing overnight delays, and anyone trying to minimize out-of-pocket costs while rebooking travel.