Manchester Airport Flights Hit by NATS Disruption 2026

Key Points

• Flights at Manchester Airport had been delayed due to a glitch at the NATS Prestwick air traffic control center in Scotland.
• It disrupted the airspace above the northern and central parts of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
• The technical issue was sorted out within a few minutes past 10.30am on Monday, 21 September 2026 according to NATS.
• Passengers were advised to contact their respective airlines regarding any flight delays.
• Manchester Airport confirmed that operations would soon be back to normal but added that there may still be knock-on delays.
• Some of the other airports affected include Glasgow, Belfast, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
• British Airways and easyJet were some of the carriers that reported cancellations or disruptions.
• This was unrelated to the software glitch that occurred early in September and resulted in around 2,000 flights being cancelled.
• The flights would continue to face uncertainty until aircraft and crew were rescheduled.
• According to the Manchester Evening News, the flights delayed by 30 minutes or cancelled had been listed based on information at 11.30am from Flightradar.

Manchester (Manchester Mirror) September 21, 2026 — passengers faced delays and cancellations after a technical failure at the National Air Traffic Services’ Prestwick control centre disrupted aircraft movements across parts of the UK.

The issue affected airspace over northern and central England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It also caused disruption at airports including Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. London Gatwick and London City airports warned that some disruption could also affect their operations, although airports south of Manchester were described as broadly unaffected.

As reported by the Manchester Evening News, the problem was connected to the NATS facility in Prestwick, Scotland. NATS initially said engineers were investigating the fault and that restrictions had been introduced to maintain safety and control traffic levels.

The restrictions reduced the number of aircraft that could safely use the affected airspace. That resulted in delays for flights travelling north, services departing Scottish airports and flights operating through the affected control area.

NATS announced shortly after 10.30am that the issue had been resolved. The organisation said its engineers had fixed the problem and that it was working with airports and airlines to lift the restrictions safely.

A NATS representative said:

“The issue in our Prestwick centre is now fixed. We are collaborating with airports and airlines to safely lift air traffic restrictions as swiftly as possible to reduce any further disruption. Passengers are advised to verify their flight status with their airline. We apologise for the inconvenience.”

Which Manchester Airport flights were delayed or cancelled?

The Manchester Evening News reported that flights delayed by more than 30 minutes or cancelled were being tracked throughout the day using information from Flightradar.com.

The newspaper said the list, recorded at 11.30am, was expected to change as airlines updated their schedules and the effects of the disruption moved through the network. A flight shown as delayed at one point could later depart, while other services could be affected by aircraft arriving late from another airport.

The available report did not provide a permanent final list because flight information was being updated during the day. Passengers therefore needed to rely on their airline’s own live information rather than assume that an airport display or third-party flight tracker represented the final position.

The Manchester Evening News also reported that Manchester Airport had warned travellers that the situation was gradually improving but that delays could continue because of the earlier restrictions.

A Manchester Airport spokesperson said NATS had confirmed that the problem at one of its Scottish air traffic control facilities had been resolved. The spokesperson added that airport operations were “gradually returning to normal”, while warning that some flights could still be delayed because of the earlier disruption.

The airport advised passengers to check for updates with their airline before setting out and to continue monitoring their flight after arriving at the airport.

Which UK airports were affected?

The disruption was regional rather than a complete shutdown of UK airspace. NATS said airports south of Manchester were broadly unaffected, but flights heading north and flights departing Scottish airports were subject to delay.

Reports identified disruption at:

• Manchester Airport.
• Glasgow Airport.
• Edinburgh Airport.
• Aberdeen Airport.
• Belfast International Airport.
• Belfast City Airport.
• City of Derry Airport.
• London Gatwick Airport.
• London City Airport.

The Irish News reported that airports in Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England were registering delays and asking passengers to contact their airlines. Belfast Live separately reported delays and cancellations affecting services at Belfast International, Belfast City and City of Derry airports.

The Guardian reported that British Airways and easyJet were among the carriers affected, with 24 flights cancelled across UK airports by the time of its report. Reuters also reported cancellations and delays at several airports, including Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast.

The number of disrupted flights could change during the day because a restriction at one air traffic control centre can affect aircraft rotations across several airports. A late inbound aircraft may prevent the next service from departing on time, even after the original technical fault has been corrected.

What did NATS and the Government say?

NATS said the technical issue had occurred at its Prestwick centre and that safety restrictions had been applied while engineers worked on the problem.

The organisation stressed that the September 21 incident was unrelated to a separate technical problem earlier in the month. That earlier fault involved a software defect and caused about 2,000 cancellations, according to reports from Reuters and the Manchester Evening News.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the latest incident was another IT issue affecting NATS. In a statement reported by the Manchester Evening News, Alexander said engineers had dealt with the problem and that systems were beginning to return to normal.

She also warned that travellers could face further delays while systems reset. Her advice was for passengers to check the latest information with their airline.

The minister acknowledged that the development would be particularly frustrating for passengers following the earlier disruption. The latest incident came less than two weeks after the previous nationwide flight disruption, increasing concern among travellers and airlines about the reliability of the UK’s air traffic control infrastructure.

NATS did not describe the September 21 incident as being connected to the earlier software defect. It apologised to passengers and said it was working with airports and airlines to restore normal traffic levels safely.

Why did delays continue after the fault was fixed?

Fixing the technical fault did not immediately restore every flight to its planned timetable. Air traffic control restrictions had been imposed to manage demand and protect safe separation between aircraft. Once those limits were lifted, airlines still had to deal with aircraft, crews and passengers being in different locations from where they had originally been scheduled to operate.

For example, an aircraft delayed while travelling north could arrive late for its next service from Manchester. A crew affected by the initial restriction could also exceed its permitted working hours, requiring the airline to arrange a replacement crew or alter the schedule.

The Independent reported that NATS applied traffic regulations while engineers investigated the issue. The Guardian and Reuters both reported that the disruption caused cancellations and delays involving major airlines.

This type of knock-on disruption can continue after the original cause has been removed. The scale and duration depend on the number of flights affected, the availability of spare aircraft and crews, airport capacity and weather conditions.

What should Manchester passengers do?

Passengers due to fly from Manchester on September 21 were advised to take several practical steps:

• Check the flight status on the operating airline’s website or app before travelling to the airport.
• Check again after arriving, because departure times can change during the recovery period.
• Follow the airline’s instructions if the flight has been cancelled or substantially delayed.
• Avoid travelling to the airport solely on the basis of an old boarding pass time if the airline has issued a new update.
• Allow extra time for check-in, security and possible changes to the departure gate.
• Keep receipts for reasonable expenses if the airline instructs passengers to make alternative arrangements.

The most important advice from NATS and Manchester Airport was to contact the airline directly. Airport websites and third-party tracking services may show operational information, but the airline is responsible for communicating rebooking, cancellation and boarding instructions to its passengers.

Passengers should also distinguish between a delay and a cancellation. A delayed service may still operate later in the day, while a cancelled service requires the airline to provide information about rebooking or other options under the applicable passenger-rights rules.

What is the background to the development?

The September 21 disruption followed another major NATS-related incident earlier in September. That previous software problem caused around 2,000 flight cancellations and affected hundreds of thousands of passengers, according to Reuters. NATS said the latest issue at Prestwick was not connected to that earlier failure.

The two incidents nevertheless occurred close together and affected public confidence in the UK’s air traffic control system. Airlines and passengers had already faced widespread disruption from the earlier problem, making the new restrictions especially significant.

The Prestwick centre manages air traffic across an important part of Scotland and surrounding routes. A problem there can affect flights moving between Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and other parts of the UK. NATS therefore applied restrictions while engineers investigated, rather than allowing traffic to continue at normal levels during an unresolved technical problem.

The September 21 event was described in reports as a technical or connectivity issue at the Prestwick centre. Public reports available at the time did not establish a detailed technical cause beyond the failure affecting the facility. NATS said the issue had been fixed and that it was working with airports and airlines to remove restrictions safely.

What could the disruption mean for Manchester Airport passengers?

For Manchester Airport passengers, the immediate effect was a higher risk of delayed departures, late arrivals, missed connections and cancellations on routes affected by northern UK airspace restrictions. Even passengers whose own flight was not directly travelling through Scotland could be affected if the aircraft or crew had earlier operated an affected route.

The likely impact for travellers was therefore uneven. Some flights could operate close to schedule, while others could face substantial delays or cancellation depending on their route, aircraft rotation and airline recovery plan. Reports indicated that disruption was concentrated in northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with airports south of Manchester broadly less affected.

Passengers travelling later in the day were not automatically guaranteed a normal service because recovery operations could take time. However, once NATS confirmed that the Prestwick issue had been fixed, the disruption shifted from an active air traffic control failure to the process of restoring schedules.

The practical prediction for Manchester travellers was that live airline updates would remain more reliable than general statements that operations were returning to normal. Passengers with important connections, time-sensitive appointments or onward travel could face the greatest consequences if delays continued into the afternoon or evening.

Airlines were expected to prioritise safety and operational recovery rather than immediately restoring every service to its original timetable. That meant some passengers could see continuing delays even though NATS had announced that the technical problem was resolved.