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Air traffic control outage live: Flight disruption to last for hours after planes grounded across UK

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A rise in the cost of air travel helped drive the jump in the UK’s inflation rate in June (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

Flight disruption is expected to last for hours after a 20-minute air traffic control outage grounded planes and suspended take-offs across the UK.

Air traffic control provider Nats has said its systems are fully operational again and air traffic capacity is returning to normal – but that there is a backlog of flights following the outage.

“Departures at all airports have resumed and we are working with affected airlines and airports to clear the backlog safely. We apologise to everyone affected by this issue,” the provider said.

Thousands of passengers have been left stranded across Europe after planes were diverted, some returning all the way to their departure cities.

Travellers are stuck on planes even after they are landed, have had flights turn around mid-air, and have been left in confusion due to “terrible communication”, they have told The Independent.

Gatwick, London City, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Heathrow, and Manchester Airports were all among the airports across the UK affected by the outage.

Have you been affected by the air traffic control shutdown? If so, please email alex.croft@independent.co.uk

What rights do you have to compensation for cancelled flights?

Travellers may be entitled to care while they wait – but not, as this was beyond the control of airlines, compensation. But your rights depend on where your flight begins and the airline involved.

For all flights from the UK and EU airports (as well as those in the wider EEA), European air passengers’ rights rules prevail. These were introduced in 2006 and are known as EC261. After Brexit, the UK copied and pasted the same regulations into British law as UK261.

The rules were devised to require airlines to do the right thing for their passengers. They specify the care and compensation you can expect when your plane is cancelled or heavily delayed.

Travel correspondent Simon Calder writes:

Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:58

Thousands of passengers face travel chaos as the world’s busiest airspace closes down

Travel Correspondent Simon Calder writes:

Many thousands of passengers are stranded at airports across Europe after their planes were diverted.

Just 20 minutes of disruption is enough to traumatise the UK’s aviation system. London handles far more airline passengers than any other city in the world.

Gatwick is the planet’s busiest single runway airport, with landings and take-offs as little as 65 seconds apart. Heathrow is the world’s busiest two-runway airport.

Dozens of flights to both airports have been diverted.

To Heathrow, incoming long-haul flights from Hanoi and Taipei are on the ground at Frankfurt. British Airways arrivals from Marseille, Zurich and Athens are in Brussel.

The Virgin Atlantic flight from Lagos is in Paris CDG, along with many flights that were heading for Gatwick – including easyJet services from Naples, Kefalonia and Corfu.

A worry for easyJet is that flights diverted to Switzerland from Bodrum, Rhodes and Chania are very long sectors, and the pilots and cabin crew may run out of hours.

Even domestic flights are affected, with British Airways passengers from Aberdeen to Heathrow currently in Newcastle.

To Luton, the easyJet flight from Lyon is in Paris, while Ryanair from Athens is in Cologne.

Britain Air Traffic Delays (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:45

Ryanair calls on Nats CEO to resign after system failure

Ryanair has called on Nats CEO Martin Rolfe to resign after a system failure has caused flight delays across the UK.

“It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption due to Martin Rolfe’s continued mismanagement of NATS. Yet another ATC system failure has resulted in the closure of UK airspace meaning thousands of passengers’ travel plans have been disruptedm” said Ryanair COO Neal McMahon.

“It is clear that no lessons have been learnt since the Aug’ 23 NATS system outage and passengers continue to suffer as a result of Martin Rolfe’s incompetence.

“If NATS CEO Martin Rolfe fails to resign on the back of this latest NATS system outage that has disrupted thousands of passengers yet again, then UK Transport Minister Heidi Alexander must act without delay to remove Martin Rolfe and deliver urgent reform of NATS’s shambolic ATC service, so that airlines and passengers are no longer forced to endure these preventable delays caused by persistent NATS failures.”

Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:39

Systems were down for just 20 minutes

The Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin writes:

The disruption at British airports has been caused by systems being down for just 20 minutes, The Independent understands.

Passengers are experiencing major delays in the wake of the traffic control issues, which has seen planes grounded and planes diverted to other areas.

Travellers have been warned that continued disruption is expected and they should check with individual airports for advice.

Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:26

Air traffic capacity returning, says provider

Air traffic control provider Nats has said that its systems are fully operational again, and that air traffic capacity is returning to normal.

Airports are now working to address a significant backlog in flights.

This backlog developed despite there being only 20 minutes between the announcements by Nats that its system was down and later that it was restored.

“Our systems are fully operational and air traffic capacity is returning to normal,” Nats said on X.

“Departures at all airports have resumed and we are working with affected airlines and airports to clear the backlog safely. We apologise to everyone affected by this issue.

Flights across the UK are being disrupted after air traffic control provider Nats suffered a technical problem (Hannah McKay/PA) (PA Archive)

Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:26

‘Chaos and confusion – the communication is terrible’

Earlier, we brought you news that Zara Metcalf, a passenger at Manchester Airport, had been told her flight to Croatia was delayed by six hours.

Passengers have now been informed to board immediately, she tells The Independent.

“We were about to board the flight and were told all flights were grounded! We were then advised of a 6 hour delay,” Ms Metcalf said.

“There’s chaos and confusion across the airport as now we apparently need to board immediately!

“Very frustrating and the communication is terrible,” she added.

Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:17

Flights resume at Manchester Airport, delays expected

Flights have resumed at Manchester Airport, but delays are expected to continue.

Zara Metcalf, who is currently at the airport, told The Independent her flight to Split, Croatia, has been delayed by at least six hours.

“There may be some ongoing impact to flights schedules so passengers due to travel are advised to consult their airlines for updates,” Manchester Airport wrote on X.

2M476HT Manchester Airport terminal two arrivals area

Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:14

Get in touch with your experiences

Have you been affected by the air traffic control outage and flight delays across the country?

Tell us all about your experience and what is going on in the airport right now. You can get in touch by email at alex.croft@independent.co.uk

Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:11

Continued disruption expected, says transport secretary

We’ve heard from transport secretary Heidi Alexander, who said on X that she is aware of the technical issue which shut down air traffic control operations.

“I have been informed systems have now been restored but continued disruption is expected, and passengers should check with individual airports for advice,” Ms Alexander added.

Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:05

London City Airport: All flights to and from London suspended

London City Airport has joined the large list of airports to confirm that flights have been suspended.

Flights will be delayed and may be subject to cancellation, the airport said.

Alex Croft30 July 2025 17:03



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Flybondi’s Direct Flights from Buenos Aires to Encarnación, Paraguay, Set to Boost Tourism and Strengthen Regional Ties – Travel And Tour World

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Flybondi’s Direct Flights from Buenos Aires to Encarnación, Paraguay, Set to Boost Tourism and Strengthen Regional Ties  Travel And Tour World



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Cathay Pacific resumes Hong Kong-Brussels flights

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Cathay Pacific has restarted flights between Hong Kong and Brussels for the first time since 2020.

The Asian carrier is operating the Hong Kong-Brussels route four times per week using Airbus A350-900 aircraft, which are fitted with business, premium economy and economy cabins.

Lavinia Lau, Cathay’s chief customer and commercial officer, said: “We are very pleased to be back in Brussels, directly connecting our home hub with one of Europe’s major political centres and a tourism destination that’s steeped in history and culture.”

Cathay Pacific has been rebuilding its long-haul network in the past few years and will operate nearly 100 weekly flights between Hong Kong and Europe this summer, following the addition of flights from Rome and Munich in June.

The airline also offers five daily flights from London and daily services from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Manchester, Milan, Paris and Zurich, as well as four weekly flights to both Barcelona and Madrid.



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JetBlue Launches New TrueBlue Travel Booking Platform

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Expanding the power of loyalty beyond the flight, JetBlue
announced
the launch and new name for its consumer travel booking program.
TrueBlue Travel is replacing the former Paisly by JetBlue website.

The new platform and travel services subsidiary offers a
more seamless way for TrueBlue members to plan, book every part of their trip
and maximize their rewards.

In celebration of the launch, members can earn 2X Tiles on
cars and hotels booked through TrueBlue Travel between August 5 and August 8,
2025, for travel completed by November 30, 2025.

“This rebrand is a major milestone for Paisly, LLC as we
continue to grow into a fully integrated travel services company,” said Jamie
Perry, President of Paisly, LLC. “It reflects what customers already expect: a
platform that delivers unbeatable value for TrueBlue members, from earning and
redeeming points to using JetBlue Plus and Premier Card benefits.”

He added,” With the addition of hotel and car redemption,
TrueBlue Travel offers one seamless place to plan and book an entire trip,
backed by the service JetBlue is known for. It also highlights how Paisly’s
platform can support future partners looking to deliver a loyalty-led travel
experience.”

Whether or not customers are flying
with JetBlue
, TrueBlue Travel’s full-service booking experience extends
beyond flights with options to book hotels, vacation rentals, car rentals,
activities, theme park tickets and travel bags. Members earn points and tiles
on eligible purchases that can now be redeemed for hotel stays and car rentals.
The platform features exclusive member savings, personalized deal matching
based on itineraries and a seamless interface to manage travel plans.

“TrueBlue Travel is a major step forward in our mission to
make loyalty more meaningful,” said Ed Pouthier, vice president, loyalty &
personalization at JetBlue in a statement. “By expanding how and where members
can redeem points through TrueBlue Travel, and delivering that experience
through Paisly, our in-house travel services company, we’re bringing more
flexibility and value to the program. It’s about creating value throughout the
entire travel ribbon, not just every flight.”

TrueBlue members can visit the website to learn how to earn
points and tiles with TrueBlue Travel for hotels, car rentals, activities and
more and start redeeming points.


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