Airports have warned of further disruption on Wednesday after more than 1,000 flights to and from the UK were cancelled due to a “technical issue”.Around 1,300 flights to and from UK airports were cancelled on Tuesday, according to Flightradar24, with a further 291 cancellations recorded early on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of passengers at airports including Heathrow and Gatwick faced travel chaos on Tuesday, with departures severely delayed because planes could not take off safely.About four hours after the disruption began, the National Air Traffic Control Service (Nats) said engineers had identified the problem and had fixed it.However, it was not clear how long it would take for systems to return to normal after the widespread delays and cancellations.A Nats spokesperson apologised for the delays and advised passengers to check with their airline before travelling to airports.The transport secretary has summoned Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe to answer questions about the disruption to flights across the UK and his organisation's response. Rail Delivery Group offer flexible train tickets for affected passengersRail passengers who have been affected by flight disruption can travel on a different date, use an alternative station where appropriate or apply for a refund, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has said.Train tickets for travelling to or from affected airports on Tuesday or Wednesday can now be used on the date of a rebooked flight.Natalie Wilson9 September 2026 12:06Heathrow and Gatwick delays updateAs of Wednesday morning, passengers flying from Heathrow and Gatwick are facing hundreds of flight delays. According to Flightradar24, 179 flights are delayed from Heathrow by an average of 20 minutes, with 177 flights delayed by an average of 16 minutes at Gatwick.Natalie Wilson9 September 2026 11:49291 flights cancelled so far today As of 11.30am, 291 flights have been cancelled at UK airports, said Cirium, the aviation analytics company.This accounts for around five per cent of Wednesday’s 5,869 scheduled flights.Across the two days, more than 2,000 flights have been affected. Natalie Wilson9 September 2026 11:47Actor Rebel Wilson caught in Heathrow airport chaosActor Rebel Wilson shared her “escape” from Heathrow airport after getting caught up in flight chaos on Tuesday. The Australian actor posted videos of snaking queues across the airport’s terminal as a Nats “technical issue” disrupted flights.(X/@rebelwilson)(X/@rebelwilson)Natalie Wilson9 September 2026 11:33Ryanair calls for Heidi Alexander to sack Nats CEO Ryanair has again called on transport minister Heidi Alexander to sack Martin Rolfe, the CEO of the UK Nats air traffic control service. Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary said: “Martin Rolfe is an overpaid (£1.4m p.a.) failure. It is time for his removal, and it is time that somebody competent was appointed to run UK ATC, which is one of Europe’s most expensive ATC systems, and yet it keeps repeatedly failing.”Natalie Wilson9 September 2026 11:08Bristol airport flights 'mostly back to normal'Flights at Bristol airport are “mostly back to normal” with a small number of delays and cancellations following the Nats technical issue yesterday.Natalie Wilson9 September 2026 11:05Scenes at Gatwick airport this morning (AFP/Getty)(PA)Natalie Wilson9 September 2026 10:47British Airways cancel more than 190 flights British Airways, the biggest carrier at London Heathrow, has cancelled more than 190 flights today following the Nats outage. BA has asked customers with cancelled flights not to come to the airport and has offered free booking amendments until Friday.Natalie Wilson9 September 2026 10:32Dublin airport 'operating a full schedule' Ireland’s biggest airport is operating a full flight schedule on Wednesday following around 90 flight cancellations yesterday. Dublin airport said airlines had worked throughout the night to reposition their aircraft, ready for flights this morning.Natalie Wilson9 September 2026 10:18What are my rights to a refund if my flight is cancelled?Under air passengers’ rights rules, travellers whose flights are departing from the UK or the EU – or on British or European airlines from anywhere in the world – have strong rights. They are entitled to be flown to their destination as close to the original schedule as possible, on any airline with seats available, and to be provided with meals and hotels if there is a significant delay.If you are informed about a cancellation less than two weeks ahead, and the airline cannot find an alternative close to the original timing, the presumption is that you should be given between £220 and £520 in cash compensation.Natalie Wilson9 September 2026 09:59