IntelScoops

London, July 31, 2025 —

At least 16 flights to and from London’s Heathrow Airport were cancelled on Wednesday, as the aftershocks of a technical malfunction in Britain’s air traffic control system continued to ripple through the country’s aviation network.

The disruption began on Tuesday when a significant fault in the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) system caused delays and groundings across multiple UK airports, with thousands of passengers affected. Although officials said the technical issue had been resolved by Tuesday evening, the backlog in scheduling and crew logistics led to further cancellations and delays throughout Wednesday.

Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, was among the hardest hit, with airlines struggling to reassign slots and accommodate stranded travelers. Airport authorities advised passengers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport, warning that recovery operations could take another day or more to stabilise fully.

In a statement, a spokesperson for NATS confirmed that the issue was related to flight plan processing and emphasised that it was not caused by a cyberattack or malicious activity. “We regret the disruption caused and are working closely with airlines and airports to restore full operations,” the agency said.

Airlines including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic reported knock-on effects, while other European hubs such as Dublin and Amsterdam also experienced delays due to the interconnected nature of the air traffic network.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority has announced an inquiry into the incident to determine the root cause and assess measures to prevent future occurrences.

Travel analysts say the episode underscores the vulnerability of complex air traffic infrastructure and raises questions about contingency planning in one of the world’s most active airspaces.