FLIGHT DISRUPTION: Ryanair demands NATS chief quits as Northern Ireland airports issue warnings
Monday 21 September 2026
Ryanair has demanded the immediate resignation of NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe as a fresh air traffic control technical failure causes flight disruption at both Belfast International and Belfast City airports.
The airline says more than 25,000 of its passengers are expected to be disrupted, with over 140 Ryanair flights delayed, and has called on Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander to remove Mr Rolfe if he does not step down voluntarily.
The disruption comes less than two weeks after a separate NATS system failure on 8 September resulted in around 2,000 flight cancellations and widespread disruption across the UK. NATS has stressed, however, that today’s problem at its Prestwick centre is unrelated to that earlier failure.
Belfast airports warn passengers
Belfast International Airport said:
“The air traffic control service, NATS, is experiencing a technical issue which is impacting flights at airports across the UK.
“Passengers are strongly advised to check with their airline directly for latest flight information before arriving at the airport.”
Belfast City Airport has also confirmed disruption to both arriving and departing flights.
The airport said:
“A technical issue being investigated by National Air Traffic Services means there will be disruption to flights arriving and departing from Belfast City Airport.
“Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport.
“The latest flight information can be viewed on our website: belfastcityairport.com”
Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast are among the airports affected by the Prestwick problem, while NATS said airports south of Manchester are broadly unaffected. Flights heading north and those departing Scottish airports are currently subject to delays.
NATS investigates Prestwick technical fault
NATS said engineers are investigating the problem at its Prestwick centre in Scotland and that air traffic restrictions have been introduced to safely manage demand.
The organisation said the issue is unrelated to the technical problems experienced earlier in September and apologised for the disruption, advising passengers to check directly with their airlines.
The distinction is significant because Ryanair has linked today’s disruption to wider concerns about the resilience of NATS’ systems, while NATS maintains that the two incidents are separate.
Fresh disruption days after NATS report
Today’s problems come just three days after NATS published its preliminary report into the major failure on 8 September.
That investigation found the earlier disruption was caused by a software defect in a small part of the National Airspace System, specifically software used to allocate identification codes to aircraft.
NATS said mitigation measures had been introduced while a permanent fix was undergoing safety testing and deployment. Restrictions during the 8 September incident lasted around six hours, although the resulting passenger disruption took more than two days to clear.
Ryanair demands resignation
Ryanair has responded to the latest disruption by renewing its demand for Mr Rolfe to leave NATS, with the airline directing particularly strong criticism at the organisation’s handling of repeated technical problems.
Ryanair Chief Operations Officer Neal McMahon said:
“Just three days after NATS assured airlines and passengers that it had introduced a robust ‘mitigation plans’, its flight data processing system has failed again. More than 25,000 Ryanair passengers have already suffered disruption, with over 140 Ryanair flights delayed, yet NATS still cannot tell passengers when this disruption will end.
“Martin Rolfe’s report claimed that another failure was ‘unlikely’ and that NATS could recover more quickly if one occurred. Those claims have been exposed as completely worthless. Just three days later, passengers are once again suffering lengthy delays because NATS has failed to deliver either a reliable system or an effective back-up.
“After the August 2023 collapse, Martin Rolfe assured Parliament that it was a ‘once-in-a-lifetime event’. Then NATS collapsed again on 8 Sept, disrupting more than 2,000 flights. Now, just 13 days later, the same flight data processing system has failed once more. How many times must UK passengers suffer disruption before Martin Rolfe is replaced by somebody competent?
“Another review, another report and another round of empty promises will not fix NATS. Martin Rolfe has presided over repeated system failures, repeated passenger disruption and repeated failures to deliver an effective back-up system. Enough is enough.
“Martin Rolfe should resign today. If he will not, then Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander should fire him and appoint somebody capable of delivering the resilient ATC service that UK passengers and airlines deserve.”
Ryanair’s characterisation of today’s incident as the same flight data processing system failing again should be read alongside NATS’ statement that the Prestwick issue is unrelated to the 8 September technical failure.
Passengers advised to check before travelling
For passengers in Northern Ireland, the immediate impact is potential delays and disruption at both Belfast airports. Travellers are being strongly advised to check their individual flight status directly with their airline before leaving for the airport.
At Belfast City Airport, passengers can also check the latest flight information at belfastcityairport.com.
