UK flights cancelled today September 9: Check Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Stansted, Bristol airports arrival, departures latest update

Heathrow Airport Flight status: Passengers travelling through major UK airports are likely to face another day of disruption after a technical failure in the country's air traffic control system triggered widespread cancellations and delays on Tuesday. The problem at National Air Traffic Services (NATS) was fixed on September 8, but the disruption has continued because airlines and airports are still dealing with the backlog of aircraft, crews and passengers.

Also Read: Air India caught in UK aviation disruption storm, forced to divert, delay, cancel multiple flights

More than 1,000 flights were cancelled during Tuesday's disruption, according to flight-tracking data, while hundreds more were delayed. At least 177 flights scheduled for Wednesday were already cancelled, with Heathrow bearing much of the immediate impact.


Passengers flying from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Stansted, Bristol and other UK airports have therefore been advised to check their individual flight status before travelling to the airport. The situation can change quickly as airlines rearrange aircraft and crews.

Why are flights cancelled today in the UK?

The disruption began after NATS experienced a technical problem with its flight-processing system on Tuesday. The system is a crucial part of the air traffic control operation. When it stopped working properly, restrictions were placed on flights across parts of UK airspace, affecting both departures and arrivals at several major airports.

NATS later said it had identified the problem and implemented a fix. By the evening, the system was operating normally, but the recovery was not immediate because hundreds of aircraft and crews had been left out of position. That is why passengers can still see cancellations and significant delays on Wednesday even though the original air traffic control issue has been resolved.

Heathrow Airport flights Status today

Heathrow was among the airports hit hardest by the disruption. The airport initially reported that the NATS problem was affecting departures before later confirming that arriving and departing flights were being affected. Heathrow subsequently resumed departures but suspended arrivals for the rest of Tuesday night as it worked through the disruption.

The impact is carrying into Wednesday. At least 177 flights scheduled for Wednesday had been cancelled following Tuesday's disruption, with most of the cancellations reportedly concentrated at Heathrow.

Among Heathrow services reported as cancelled on Tuesday were flights involving destinations including Amsterdam, Zagreb, Berlin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Dubrovnik, Pisa and Valencia. Several other Heathrow services were delayed rather than cancelled.

Passengers should not assume that a route is operating simply because it is listed on an airline's normal schedule. Individual flights can be cancelled, retimed or operated with a different aircraft as airlines rebuild their schedules.

Heathrow arrivals and departures

The key issue for passengers today is that the disruption is no longer simply an airport-wide ground stop. Some Heathrow flights are operating, while others have been delayed or cancelled. Flight status can also change during the day as airlines deal with the knock-on effects from Tuesday.

Travellers should therefore check the latest status of their Heathrow departures and Heathrow arrivals directly with their airline before leaving for the airport.

British Airways, which has a particularly large operation at Heathrow, cancelled or diverted more than 100 flights during Tuesday's disruption and warned of continuing disruption.

Gatwick Airport flights today

Gatwick Airport was also affected by the NATS failure, with restrictions placed on flights in the London flight information region. The disruption was particularly visible on Tuesday, when passengers reported long waits and cancellations. One Ryanair flight at Gatwick was among the services cancelled after passengers had already spent hours waiting.

Gatwick is expected to see continued disruption on Wednesday as airlines work through the backlog.

easyJet, one of the major airlines operating from Gatwick, was among the carriers affected by the wider UK disruption. The airline reported widespread delays and cancellations as a result of the air traffic control failure. Passengers checking Gatwick departures today should therefore look at the live status of their specific flight rather than relying only on the airport's normal timetable.

Manchester Airport flights

Manchester Airport was among the major UK airports affected by the NATS technical issue. The airport's operator, Manchester Airports Group, said flights from Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands were affected. The disruption was initially focused heavily on departing flights but subsequently created wider knock-on effects for arrivals and aircraft rotations.

Passengers using Manchester Airport departures should check with their airline before travelling, particularly if their aircraft or crew was scheduled to arrive from another airport affected by Tuesday's disruption.

Birmingham Airport flights

Birmingham Airport also experienced disruption. The airport said the technical issue was affecting airspace in the south of the UK and was having a significant effect on departing flights across the country.

Although the NATS system has since been restored, the backlog means delays and cancellations can continue after the original technical problem has ended.

Stansted Airport flights

Stansted Airport was another major UK airport affected by the NATS disruption. Stansted, which has a large number of short-haul European services, was affected by restrictions and delays as the UK air traffic system struggled to process flights normally.

Ryanair, one of the biggest operators at Stansted, was among the airlines hit by the disruption. The airline said tens of thousands of its passengers were affected, while it criticised NATS over the handling and reliability of the system. Passengers should check their Stansted departures before setting out.

Bristol Airport flights

Bristol Airport was also listed among the UK airports affected by the technical problem. The NATS failure disrupted operations at at least 10 major UK gateways, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

The effect on individual flights varies, so passengers should check the airline's latest information rather than assuming that every service from Bristol has been cancelled.

Gatwick Airport Flight

The live Gatwick flight page currently shows these September 9 cancellations:

Time	Destination	Airline	Flight	Status
03:40	Heraklion	easyJet	EZY8260	Cancelled
04:20	Tenerife South	easyJet	EZY8038	Cancelled
04:35	Accra	British Airways	BA2066	Cancelled

Gatwick's official flight page is showing these as cancelled.

Bristol Airport Flights Cancelled today

The live Bristol board is also showing cancellations for September 9. One cancellation I can independently verify is:

Time	Destination	Airline	Flight	Status
01:15	Lanzarote	Ryanair	FR4756	Cancelled

What happened to UK flights?

Tuesday's incident became one of the most disruptive air travel failures in the UK in recent years. Flightradar24 reported more than 1,000 cancelled flights as the disruption spread across the network. The problem was not limited to London. Airports in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK were also affected, while the knock-on effect extended to flights outside Britain.

The disruption also affected flights into and out of Ireland. Dublin Airport reported more than 70 cancellations linked to the UK air traffic control problem, including both departures and arrivals.

Which airlines have been affected?

Several major airlines were affected, including British Airways, Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air. British Airways cancelled or diverted more than 100 flights during Tuesday's disruption. Ryanair said the problem affected more than 65,000 passengers, while easyJet also experienced widespread disruption.

Wizz Air also criticised the situation and called for changes following the latest failure. Ryanair separately called for NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign.

UK Flights Cancelled: What passengers should check

• Heathrow departures and arrivals with their airline
• Gatwick departures before travelling to the airport
• Manchester Airport departures for the latest status
• Birmingham Airport's live flight information
• Stansted Airport's departure board
• Bristol Airport's latest flight information
• Airline updates from British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air
• Flight tracking services such as Flightradar24 for aircraft movements

Is UK air traffic control working now?

Yes. NATS said the technical problem in its flight-processing system had been resolved and that it was working to clear the backlog.

However, fixing the software problem does not immediately restore the network to its normal schedule. Aircraft may be in the wrong locations, crews may have reached their operating limits and passengers may have missed connecting flights.

That creates a second wave of disruption.

For travellers, this means a flight that is still shown as scheduled can nevertheless be delayed or cancelled later if the aircraft or crew needed to operate it is unavailable.

Will more flights be cancelled today?

Further cancellations and delays are possible as the UK aviation system recovers.

The original NATS problem has been fixed, but airlines still have to rebuild their schedules after one of the biggest disruptions of the year. The UK government has said the incident will be examined, while the aviation industry has renewed questions about the resilience of the country's air traffic control infrastructure.

Passengers travelling today should therefore avoid relying on yesterday's flight status. Check the latest information immediately before leaving for the airport and continue monitoring the service if it is delayed.