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UK air traffic control outage disrupts more than 2,000 flights as airlines demand NATS reform

A technical failure at National Air Traffic Services disrupted operations at Heathrow and other UK airports, stranding passengers and triggering more than 2,000 cancellations and delays. The disruption began to ease after several days, while the transport secretary called the failure avoidable and airlines pressed for urgent reforms.

2026-09-10T03:35:39.305285-07:00

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UK air traffic control outage disrupts more than 2,000 flights as airlines demand NATS reform

A technical failure at National Air Traffic Services disrupted operations at Heathrow and other UK airports, stranding passengers and triggering more than 2,000 cancellations and delays. The disruption began to ease after several days, while the transport secretary called the failure avoidable and airlines pressed for urgent reforms.

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Reuters

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Ryanair warns of significant airfare increases as jet fuel costs rise, while O’Leary attacks NATS

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary warned that sustained high oil prices could drive a significant increase in airfares, particularly among rival airlines, potentially giving Ryanair a pricing advantage. He also renewed criticism of UK air traffic control provider NATS following a system outage that disrupted thousands of flights.

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Associated Press

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Russian drone incursion into Moldova nearly intercepts Zelenskyy’s aircraft, closing airspace

A Russian drone crashed near a Moldovan village as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s aircraft prepared to depart for Norway, prompting Moldova to close its airspace and delaying three flights. Officials said debris resembled Russian Geran-type drones, underscoring the growing risk to civilian aviation from the war in Ukraine.

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Reuters

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NATS outage halts arrivals at five London airports and disrupts more than 1,000 UK flights

A technical failure at the UK’s air traffic control provider NATS halted arrivals at London’s five major airports until at least 10 p.m. Tuesday, while cancellations and delays affected more than 1,000 flights nationwide. Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted were among the airports disrupted.

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Bloomberg

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Senators Press FAA to Release Controllers’ Remaining 2.8% Pay Raise Amid Scheduling Tensions

Two Democratic senators are urging the FAA to distribute the remaining 2.8% of a congressionally approved pay increase for air traffic controllers, accusing the agency of withholding raises. The FAA says additional conditions remain, intensifying a dispute over controller workload and a broader scheduling overhaul.

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FlightGlobal

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Ukraine asks ICAO to ban overflights of Russia as drone threat disrupts Moscow flights

Ukraine is urging ICAO to prohibit commercial overflights of Russia, citing deteriorating airspace safety as it plans more drone activity near Russian airports. Airlines are already adjusting operations: Air Tanzania diverted a Moscow flight to St. Petersburg, while Flydubai continues reviewing routes, delays and diversions.

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