A technical issue briefly grounded and diverted flights in Britain on Wednesday (July 30, 2025) before engineers were able to restore the system, the air traffic control operator said.
Airports said it would take time for disruption to clear, with many planes and crew out of position.
The National Air Traffic Service, or NATS, said the glitch happened at its control centre at Swanwick, southwest of London, and required the service to limit the number of aircraft flying to ensure safety.
London's Gatwick Airport said the issue affected outbound flights across the U.K. Some inbound flights were put into holding patterns or diverted.
Stansted, another London-area airport, said “many departures and arrivals” were affected and advised passengers to check with their airlines.
