LONDON, July 31 — A fresh wave of flight cancellations hit London’s Heathrow Airport on Thursday, adding to the frustration of passengers still reeling from the chaos caused by a major technical failure in the UK’s air traffic control system just a day earlier.
At least 16 flights — including departures bound for Brussels and Toronto and arrivals from New York and Berlin — were called off, according to Heathrow’s official website. The airport, which is not only Britain’s largest but also Europe’s busiest, is once again under pressure after already facing a turbulent year, including a power station fire in March that left thousands of passengers stranded.
The glitch at the heart of this disruption came from the National Air Traffic Services (NATS), the organization responsible for managing flights across UK airspace and a significant portion of the eastern North Atlantic. On Wednesday, NATS said it had restored its systems and returned to normal capacity using a backup. But for many travelers and airlines, the fallout is far from over.
The impact was widespread. In addition to Heathrow, airports like Gatwick near London and Edinburgh in Scotland were also affected. Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium recorded 122 cancelled flights by 6:30 PM GMT on Wednesday.
UK Transport Minister Heidi Alexander expressed deep concern, stating she would be meeting with NATS’ Chief Executive Martin Rolfe to “understand what happened and how we can prevent reoccurrence.” She also mentioned that efforts were underway to clear the backlog in coordination with airlines and airport authorities.
However, not everyone is satisfied with the response. Ryanair’s Chief Operating Officer Neal McMahon did not hold back, urging NATS boss Martin Rolfe to resign. He criticized the agency for failing to learn from past mistakes — notably the August 2023 incident that saw similar disruptions due to flight plan processing failures.
While NATS issued a public apology on Wednesday, they have yet to respond to the call for leadership accountability or to explain the root causes behind the latest breakdown.
For thousands of travelers, the delays, rebookings, and uncertainty remain more than just an inconvenience. They’re a stark reminder of how one technical glitch can ripple across borders and disrupt lives in an instant.
