Why are flights being cancelled today? Live Gatwick and Heathrow disruption updates
Live update for Wednesday 9 September 2026 after the UK air traffic control failure, with the latest Gatwick and Heathrow cancellation figures, official flight-status links, passenger rights, rebooking steps and Sussex airport transfer advice.
Updated 9 September 2026 at 17:04 BSTHeathrow LHRGatwick LGWNATS system recovery
Latest update for Wednesday 9 September: NATS says the flight-processing fault has been resolved and its system is operating normally, but airlines and airports are still clearing a major backlog. Reuters reported 1,300 flight cancellations to and from UK airports on Tuesday. ITV Meridian reported, citing Flightradar24, 246 cancellations at Heathrow and 33 at Gatwick by 06:00 on Wednesday. Check the operating airline and official airport board before travelling because individual flight status can change quickly.
Fault resolvedNATS says its flight-processing system is operating normally.
1,300 TuesdayFlights to and from UK airports reported cancelled on Tuesday.
246 HeathrowMorning snapshot reported by ITV Meridian for Wednesday.
33 GatwickMorning snapshot reported by ITV Meridian for Wednesday.
Why are flights being cancelled today?
Flights are being cancelled today because airlines are still recovering from Tuesday’s NATS flight-data-processing failure. Even after NATS restored normal system operation, cancelled sectors left aircraft and crews out of position, passengers needing rebooking and airport slots under pressure. Those knock-on effects are continuing at Heathrow, Gatwick and other UK airports on Wednesday.
UK airspace was not completely closed during the incident. Some flights continued to depart and arrive, but capacity was constrained. NATS now says the system issue has been resolved and it is operating normally. Airline recovery takes longer because aircraft, crews and airport slots may no longer be in the right place.
NATS announced that it was investigating a technical issue causing disruption to flight departures.
The issue was identified within the flight processing system. Flights were still moving, but NATS warned that recovery would take time.
NATS announced that it had implemented a fix and that the flight system was beginning to recover.
Airlines and airports continued dealing with cancellations, long delays, diversions and aircraft or crews left out of position.
Knock-on cancellations continued while airlines repositioned aircraft and crews and rebooked affected passengers.
Important: NATS says the system issue is resolved and that safety was not compromised. Its chief executive said the full investigation had not yet established exactly what went wrong. No public evidence of a cyberattack has been confirmed. Avoid treating unverified social posts as fact.
How badly are Heathrow and Gatwick affected?
Reuters reported that Flightradar24 counted 1,300 cancelled flights to and from UK airports on Tuesday. ITV Meridian reported on Wednesday morning, also citing Flightradar24, that 246 flights had been cancelled at Heathrow and 33 at Gatwick by 06:00. These figures are time-stamped snapshots and can change as airlines revise schedules.
The practical message is more important than any single total: both airports remain operational, but individual flights may be delayed, cancelled, diverted or rescheduled. A green airport status does not guarantee that a particular flight will operate.
Heathrow LHR
Heathrow passenger advice
Heathrow says the NATS issue is affecting both arriving and departing flights. Its public advice is to check with the airline for the latest information and travel to the airport only if the flight has been confirmed.
Confirm the terminal because a replacement flight may use a different terminal or airline.
Use the airline app, website, email and SMS notifications, not airport rumours or screenshots shared online.
For an unconfirmed flight, follow Heathrow’s instruction and do not begin the airport journey until the airline confirms what to do.
Gatwick LGW
Gatwick passenger advice
Gatwick’s live board showed a mixture of cancellations and substantial expected delays during the disruption. Check the individual flight record, the operating airline and the correct North or South Terminal.
Unless the airline tells you otherwise, continue to follow its normal check-in and bag-drop deadline.
If the flight is diverted to another airport, contact anyone collecting you before they start driving to Gatwick.
What should affected passengers do right now?
Find the operating airline. A codeshare ticket may carry one airline number but be operated by another. The operating carrier controls the live status and rebooking.
Check the flight number, date and direction. Do not rely on the route alone because several flights can serve the same city.
Wait for direct confirmation. A delay can become a cancellation, and a replacement flight can receive a new number or terminal.
Keep evidence. Save airline emails, app notifications, boarding passes, booking references and screenshots showing the cancellation or delay.
Ask the airline for care. If the relevant delay threshold is reached, ask about food, drink, communication, hotel accommodation and transport.
Keep itemised receipts. If the airline cannot arrange reasonable care, document your attempts to obtain help and keep every receipt for a later expenses claim.
Contact onward providers. Tell your hotel, cruise, rail operator, car hire company and airport transfer provider about material changes.
Do not cancel your own booking too early. Voluntarily cancelling before the airline acts may affect refund or rebooking options. Read the airline’s notice first.
Flight delayed or cancelled? Your UK passenger rights
UK passenger rights are primarily owed by the airline, not the airport, air traffic controller or taxi provider. The rules depend on the route, operating airline and cause. The UK Civil Aviation Authority provides the definitive consumer guidance.
Food, drink and communication
For covered flights, the airline’s duty of care begins after a delay of at least two hours for flights under 1,500km, three hours for flights between 1,500km and 3,500km, and four hours for flights over 3,500km.
Hotel and transport
If the disruption requires an overnight wait, care can include reasonable hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and accommodation, or home where appropriate.
Delay of five hours or more
If a covered flight is delayed by at least five hours, you can choose not to travel and request a refund for unused flights on that booking. Do not choose this if you still want the airline to carry you.
Cancelled flight
For a cancellation covered by UK law, the airline must offer a choice between a refund for unused parts of the ticket or alternative transport under comparable conditions.
Does an air traffic control failure qualify for cash compensation?
Fixed UK261 compensation and the airline’s duty of care are different. Air traffic control decisions or failures are generally treated as circumstances outside the airline’s control, so fixed cash compensation may not be payable for this incident. However, the duty to provide care, and the choice of refund or rerouting after a cancellation, can still apply. Do not let a discussion about compensation distract from asking for immediate assistance.
Reasonable costs matter: If you must arrange your own meal, hotel or transport because the airline cannot provide it, keep itemised receipts and avoid luxury spending. The airline may reject costs it considers unreasonable.
Missed connections, package holidays and separate tickets
Flights on one through-booking
If connecting flights are on the same booking, rights are usually assessed using the journey to the final destination. The airline should rearrange the connection when the first disruption makes the booked onward flight impossible. Ask for the complete itinerary to be reissued before leaving the desk or closing the app.
Self-transfer or separate tickets
Separate bookings carry more risk. The second airline may treat you as a no-show if the first flight is late, and the statutory right to reach the final destination does not normally join separate tickets together. Contact the second airline immediately and check travel insurance cover.
Package holidays
Contact the organiser as well as the airline. Package travel protections can create additional responsibilities for the organiser, particularly where the disruption affects several parts of the holiday.
Checked baggage
If a flight is cancelled after bag drop, confirm whether baggage will be returned, transferred to the replacement flight or held by the airline. Do not leave the airport without clear instructions and a baggage reference where required.
What to do if you have an airport taxi booked
Send changes as soon as the airline confirms them
Flight monitoring helps with a delay to the same booked flight. It cannot automatically identify every cancellation, new flight number, overnight rebooking, terminal change or diversion. If any of those details change, contact your transfer provider immediately.
Send the original booking name and taxi booking reference.
Provide the new flight number, travel date, airport and terminal.
State whether the flight is delayed, cancelled, diverted or rebooked.
For arrivals, confirm the new landing airport before a driver is dispatched.
For departures, do not move the pickup time based only on an estimated delay unless the airline confirms revised check-in instructions.
Arriving at Gatwick or Heathrow
A landing time is not the same as the time a passenger exits arrivals. During major disruption, remote stands, gate availability, immigration, baggage delivery and terminal changes can add time. Keep your phone switched on after landing and follow the meeting instructions from your operator.
Diverted to another UK airport
Do not ask a driver to continue to the original airport if the aircraft has landed elsewhere. First confirm whether the airline will move passengers by coach or re-fly the aircraft. Then contact the transfer provider with the confirmed collection point. A different airport is usually a different journey and may require a new vehicle, price and availability check.
The NATS problem is an aviation system failure, not a road closure. However, cancellation waves can create unusual demand around terminal drop-off and pickup areas. Aircraft arriving late can also push airport collections into peak road periods.
Gatwick: The main Sussex approach is via the A23 and M23. Check the correct North or South Terminal before departure.
Heathrow: Traffic conditions can change quickly on the M25 and terminal approach roads. Allow for the correct terminal, not simply “Heathrow”.
Airlines are still recovering from Tuesday’s NATS flight-processing failure. Aircraft and crews were displaced, passengers require rebooking and airport slots remain under pressure even though NATS says its system is now operating normally.
Is Heathrow Airport closed?
No. Heathrow remains operational, but the NATS issue has affected arriving and departing flights. Check the individual flight with the airline and use Heathrow’s live boards. Heathrow advises travelling only when the flight is confirmed.
Is Gatwick Airport closed?
No. Gatwick remains operational, but its flight board has shown multiple cancellations and significant delays. Check the live status and operating airline before travelling.
Has the NATS technical problem been fixed?
Yes. NATS says the system issue has been resolved and it is operating normally. Airlines are still dealing with the backlog, so delays and cancellations can continue.
Should I still go to the airport if my flight is delayed?
Follow the airline’s direct instruction. Heathrow currently advises passengers to travel only when their flight is confirmed. Unless the airline changes the requirement, check-in, bag-drop and boarding deadlines can still apply even when a flight shows delayed.
What if my flight is cancelled?
For a flight covered by UK law, the airline should offer a refund for unused travel or an alternative flight. It also owes care and assistance while you wait for rerouting.
Can I claim compensation for this air traffic control failure?
Fixed cash compensation is less likely where the disruption was outside the airline’s control, such as an air traffic control failure. Care, reasonable expenses, refund and rerouting rights are separate and may still apply.
Will the airline pay for a hotel?
If a covered cancellation or qualifying delay requires an overnight wait for an alternative flight, the airline’s duty of care can include reasonable accommodation and transport. Ask the airline first and keep receipts if you must make reasonable arrangements yourself.
What happens to my airport taxi if the flight is rebooked?
Send the taxi operator the new flight number, date, airport and terminal as soon as confirmed. Monitoring the original flight cannot automatically reveal every new booking or diversion.
Could disruption continue tomorrow?
Yes. Aircraft and crews may be out of position, passengers need rebooking and airport slots remain constrained. Check again before sleeping and before starting the airport journey.
Was the NATS failure a cyberattack?
No cyberattack has been confirmed. NATS described a technical failure in its flight-processing system and said a full investigation was under way.
Need to update a Sussex airport transfer?
If your Gatwick or Heathrow flight has been delayed, cancelled, diverted or rebooked, send the confirmed new information as soon as possible so the journey can be reviewed.
Editorial note: This independent passenger guide was published by Sussex Airports Taxis on 8 September 2026 and updated on 9 September 2026. Flight figures and operational status can change quickly. The operating airline and official airport boards are the final authorities for individual flights. This page is general travel information and not legal advice.
