Emirates, Qatar Airways warn of UK flight delays after air traffic control fault

Passengers travelling between the UAE, Qatar and the UK have been warned of possible flight delays and disruptions after a technical issue affected NATS, the UK’s air traffic control service provider.

Both Emirates and Qatar Airways issued travel advisories urging passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.

Emirates Issues Travel Advisory

Dubai-based Emirates said flights departing from and arriving at UK airports were experiencing disruptions because of the NATS technical issue.

The airline apologised for the inconvenience and advised passengers to:

Check their flight status regularly.
Review operational updates on the Emirates website.
Monitor their email for notifications about delays, changes or cancellations.
Update their contact details through the Manage Your Booking portal.
Emirates said keeping contact information updated would help passengers receive the latest travel information.

Qatar Airways Warns of Delays and Rerouting

Qatar Airways also issued a similar alert to passengers.

The Doha-based carrier said flights to and from UK airports, as well as flights transiting UK airspace, could face delays and possible rerouting because of the disruption.

Passengers were advised to check the latest flight information through the airline’s website and mobile app before travelling to the airport.

Neither Emirates nor Qatar Airways specified how many of their flights were affected or when their operations would fully return to normal.

Major UK Airports Hit by Disruptions

Hundreds of flights at major UK airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted, were cancelled or delayed on Tuesday evening following the NATS technical issue.

The disruption affected flight processing and caused significant delays across the UK aviation network.

NATS said it had identified the problem in its flight processing system, with engineers working to restore normal operations.

NATS Says Airspace Remains Open

NATS confirmed that flights were still departing and that UK airspace remained open, although it warned that recovering from the disruption would take time.

The air traffic control provider later said the system issue had been resolved and that it was operating normally while working to clear the backlog of flights.

In an update issued at 7.30pm UK time, NATS apologised for the continuing disruption and urged passengers to continue checking with their respective airlines.

Passengers Advised to Check Before Travelling

With Emirates and Qatar Airways operating regular services between their Dubai and Doha hubs and major UK cities, passengers travelling on these routes could experience delays as airlines work through the backlog.

Travellers are advised to check directly with their airline for the latest flight status and any changes to departure times before leaving for the airport.