Major UK airports, most notably Heathrow and Gatwick, are experiencing widespread flight disruptions due to a technical failure affecting NATS, the national air traffic control provider. The issue has forced a temporary restriction on flight departures, leading to delays for passengers across the country.

NATS has officially acknowledged the situation, confirming that they are actively investigating the technical glitch. While the provider has not yet disclosed the specific nature of the failure, they have implemented traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety while they work to restore full operational capacity.

Reporting on the scale of the impact varies slightly between outlets. The BBC describes the situation as a series of "problems" affecting departures, while The Independent characterizes the event as flights being "grounded." Both sources agree that the root cause is a technical issue within the NATS infrastructure, though neither has provided a timeline for when normal service will resume. Passengers are being advised to check their flight status with their respective airlines, as the knock-on effects of these air traffic control restrictions are expected to continue throughout the day.