Airlines criticise air traffic control as second glitch causes more disruption

Image source, PA Media By Adam Goldsmith and Theo Leggett , International Business Correspondent Published 21 September 2026, 14:16 BST Updated 11 minutes ago Airlines have criticised the UK's air traffic control over a second glitch this month that has caused flight delays and cancellations.

EasyJet said Monday's incident "once again calls into question the resilience" of the system, while Wizz Air said there was a "national confidence crisis" in Nats, which runs the UK's air traffic.

The technical problem at Prestwick in Ayrshire caused disruption at airports across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, delaying dozens of flights.

Nats said a "connectivity issue" was to blame for the disruption, and that it had "nothing to do" with a separate software defect at Swanwick that led to the cancellation of 2,000 flights earlier in September.