Flight chaos for hundreds of thousands was caused in ‘millisecond’ by software error
News Source
•Fri, 18 Sep 2026 15:45:18 GMT
📰 What Happened
UK air traffic control operator Nats says a software defect corrupted flight data in a millisecond. The fault caused a six-hour outage on 8 September. Flights across the UK were cancelled or delayed for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
The error first happened at 10am. Engineers were told and looked into it, but the system seemed to work again. Then at 12.30pm it happened again, and a major incident was declared.
Ministers say the report leaves questions. They want to know why the problem was not found and fixed before it caused chaos. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the Civil Aviation Authority will check the findings and investigate Nats more widely.
🔍 The Backstory
Nats runs air traffic control for UK airspace and handles millions of flights each year. When its systems fail, planes cannot take off or land safely, so the effects spread fast to other countries.
Airlines want compensation and a credible plan to stop it happening again. Ryanair has even called for Nats leaders to be dismissed.
🎯 Why It Matters
One tiny software error stranded travellers, cost airlines millions and showed how much modern travel depends on computers working perfectly.
UK air traffic control operator Nats says a software defect corrupted flight data in a millisecond. The fault caused a six-hour outage on 8 September. Flights across the UK were cancelled or delayed for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
The error first happened at 10am. Engineers were told and looked into it, but the system seemed to work again. Then at 12.30pm it happened again, and a major incident was declared.
Ministers say the report leaves questions. They want to know why the problem was not found and fixed before it caused chaos. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the Civil Aviation Authority will check the findings and investigate Nats more widely.
Nats runs air traffic control for UK airspace and handles millions of flights each year. When its systems fail, planes cannot take off or land safely, so the effects spread fast to other countries.
Airlines want compensation and a credible plan to stop it happening again. Ryanair has even called for Nats leaders to be dismissed.
One tiny software error stranded travellers, cost airlines millions and showed how much modern travel depends on computers working perfectly.