Fresh NATS technical failure disrupts flights across Scotland and northern UK

Flights across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England have been disrupted after a fresh technical issue affected the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) control centre at Prestwick.

The issue was reported on Monday morning, with NATS applying air traffic restrictions while engineers investigated the problem.

The Prestwick Centre controls aircraft across a large area of Scottish-controlled airspace, meaning the disruption is affecting far more than flights operating to and from Prestwick Airport.

Scottish airspace capacity reduced

The Flight Data Processing System (FDPS) failure has resulted in capacity through Scottish-controlled airspace being reduced by 60%, with high delays reported.

Restrictions have also affected parts of the Shanwick Oceanic operation, with westbound sectors and associated routes operating at reduced capacity.

NATS said the restrictions had been introduced to manage traffic demand and maintain safety while engineers worked on the issue.

Flights heading north and those departing Scottish airports have been particularly affected, while airports south of Manchester have been broadly unaffected.

Glasgow and Edinburgh among airports affected

The disruption has been felt across Scotland, with delays reported at Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL).

HIAL said flight schedules across its network were being impacted by the technical issue at Prestwick.

Loganair has also cancelled a number of flights in Scotland, including services involving Islay, Tiree and Kirkwall.

At larger airports, passengers have reported significant delays, with some services delayed by more than an hour.

As the restrictions remain in place, further delays and cancellations are possible as airlines and airports work through the disruption.

Second NATS incident in weeks

The latest problem comes less than two weeks after a separate major NATS technical failure caused widespread disruption across the UK.

That earlier incident on 8 September was subsequently traced to a software defect within NATS' National Airspace System. NATS said the two incidents are unrelated.

The September 8 failure resulted in restrictions being imposed across UK airspace and affected more than 2,000 flights, with the disruption continuing for several days.

NATS has now confirmed that engineers are investigating the latest issue at Prestwick Centre.

The organisation has apologised to passengers affected and advised travellers to check directly with their airline for the latest information.

Aviation News UK live coverage

Aviation News UK is continuing to monitor the situation across the UK.

Our Live Map is tracking the affected airports and airspace restrictions, allowing passengers and aviation enthusiasts to follow the disruption as it develops.

Further updates will be provided as NATS and affected airports release more information.