UK Airports Latest: 600 Flights Cancelled, Police Called to Grounded Plane, Arsenal Delayed

Disruption from Monday's air traffic control failure was still being felt across UK airports on the evening of 8 September 2026, with more than 600 flights cancelled, police called to a grounded aircraft and Arsenal held up on their way to a Champions League fixture. Below we pull together the latest developments, alongside the official advice issued to passengers by Manchester Airport.

600 Flights Cancelled Across the UK

Sky News reported that around 600 flights were cancelled after the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) system that processes flight plans suffered a technical fault, forcing controllers to slow the rate of departures through UK airspace. Under the headline "UK airports latest: 600 flights cancelled; police called to grounded plane; Arsenal delayed en route to match", Sky News tracked the disruption through the day as airlines pulled services to protect the rest of their schedules.

UK airspace was never closed. The problem lay in the flight-processing system rather than in radar or communications, so aircraft already airborne continued to be handled safely while the flow of new departures was cut back. NATS engineers put a fix in place during the late afternoon, but with aircraft and crews left out of position at the peak of the day, cancellations and delays continued to ripple through the network into the evening and the following morning.

Police Called to a Grounded Plane

Among the day's flashpoints, Sky News reported that police were called to a grounded aircraft as frustration grew among passengers left waiting during the disruption. Long waits on stationary aircraft, at gates and in terminals were reported at several airports as airlines worked through the backlog.

Arsenal Delayed En Route to Their Match

The knock-on effects reached the football calendar too. Sky News reported that Arsenal were delayed en route to their match, with the disruption affecting the squad's travel plans on a European matchday. It was a high-profile illustration of how far a single technical fault can spread once schedules start to unravel.

What Manchester Airport Told Passengers

Manchester Airport issued a series of passenger updates through the day. At 6:00pm the airport said:

"Following today's NATS air traffic control issue, flight disruption is expected to continue for the rest of the day while airlines recover their schedules. Before travelling to the airport, please check your flight status directly with your airline. Only travel to the airport if your airline has confirmed that your flight is operating. We'll share further updates when available. Thank you for your patience."

By 8:20pm, with the underlying fault resolved, Manchester Airport confirmed that a fuller schedule was expected the next day:

"NATS has fixed the issue that affected national air traffic control systems earlier today but flight disruption is expected to continue for the rest of the day while airlines recover their schedules. A full flight schedule is expected to operate tomorrow but the airport may be busier due to rescheduled flights. Before travelling to the airport, please check your flight status directly with your airline. Thank you for your patience."

The same advice applied right across the network. You can follow the live picture on our boards, including Manchester departures and arrivals, Heathrow departures and Gatwick departures.

Which Airlines Cancelled the Most?

The cancellations fell most heavily on the big short-haul carriers. Across the day the operators with the most cancelled flights included:

• easyJet - around 218 flights
• British Airways - around 132 flights
• Ryanair - around 41 flights
• KLM - around 37 flights
• Eurowings - around 22 flights

Among the airports, Heathrow saw roughly 100 cancellations on top of several hundred delays, while Gatwick reported that close to a third of its operations were delayed. Stansted, Birmingham, East Midlands, Luton, London City and Edinburgh were also affected, with departures hit harder than arrivals.

Your Rights If Your Flight Was Cancelled

An air traffic control failure is normally treated as an extraordinary circumstance, so airlines are generally not required to pay fixed cash compensation. Your other rights still apply in full, however. If your flight was cancelled, the airline must offer you either a full refund or rerouting to your destination at the earliest opportunity. While you wait, they also owe you a duty of care, which means meals and refreshments and, where necessary, overnight accommodation with transfers. If you pay for reasonable food or a hotel yourself because the airline cannot arrange it, keep every receipt and claim it back.

Travelling Today or Tomorrow?

• Check your flight status directly with your airline before leaving home.
• Only travel to the airport once your airline confirms your flight is operating.
• Allow extra time, as queues can build while schedules recover.
• Keep an eye on our live arrivals and departures boards for your airport.

For the fuller background on the fault and the airports worst hit, see our main report on the UK air traffic control failure of 8 September 2026.

Sources: Sky News; Manchester Airport passenger updates (8 September 2026).