Edinburgh Airport has issued a warning to passengers over an air traffic control issue that is affecting UK flights. The disruption follows a “technical issue” reported by the country’s air traffic control service, Nats, around 1.46pm on 8 September 2026.
Technical issue disrupts departures
Flights departing from UK airports have been disrupted after Nats experienced the technical issue. Engineers were reported to be on site working to resolve the problem. According to Flightradar24, 10 airports are currently showing disruption, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, London City, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. It is not yet clear whether all of the disruption being reported is linked to the same Nats technical issue.
Nats statement and passenger impact
In a statement on its website, Nats said: “We are investigating a technical issue which is causing some disruption to flight departures. Our engineers are on site and we will provide an update as soon as we can. We apologise for the delay this will cause to journeys, passengers should check with their airline on the status of their flight. We will provide updates on www.nats.aero and on X – @NATS.”
Passengers have reported being left waiting on runways as disruption builds across major UK airports. Edinburgh Airport has now warned travellers that the issue may affect flights at the capital's airport. A statement read: "We are aware of a technical issue affecting NATS which may impact operations. We are working closely with air traffic control, airlines and other partners, and hope NATS can resolve the issue as quickly as possible."
Advice for travellers and recovery timeline
Those travelling from Gatwick are advised to check in as normal and contact their airline before setting off. Heathrow Airport noted that arriving flights are not affected. A statement from Heathrow Airport said: “The air traffic control service @NATS is experiencing a technical issue which is impacting departing flights at UK airports. Arriving flights are not currently impacted. We are supporting our local Nats team in their efforts to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We will provide updated information when we have it. We apologise to those disrupted and advise passengers to check with their airline for latest flight information.”
Air traffic is expected to return to normal by 9pm UK time, according to Flightradar24, citing Eurocontrol, the organisation which coordinates air traffic across Europe. Flights are still taking off despite the disruption, although some are facing significant delays.
