21 September 2026ATC / airport infrastructure failure

NATS Prestwick technical failure disrupts Scottish airspace, 21 September

WHAT'S HAPPENING

NATS reported a connectivity issue with part of its systems network specific to the Scottish operation at its Prestwick control centre on the morning of Monday 21 September 2026.
Air traffic regulations were applied to limit demand while engineers worked on the fault. Flights departing Scottish airports or routing north of Manchester were delayed, with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and Belfast International among the airports affected.
Ryanair said more than 140 of its flights were delayed and more than 25,000 of its passengers affected. Belfast and Derry services to and from Edinburgh and Glasgow were among the flights cancelled.
NATS said the fault was cleared at about 10:30 local time and that it was unrelated to the separate NATS failure earlier in September. Knock-on delays continued through the day.

Sources: AeroTime · Travel Extra · Travel PR News — Ryanair statement

WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOUR CLAIM

COMPENSATION: UNLIKELY — CARE STILL OWED

A failure of air traffic control or airport infrastructure is outside the airline's control and normally counts as extraordinary, so compensation is usually not owed. Care, rerouting, and refund rights are unaffected — and expenses you reasonably incur when care is not provided are reimbursable.

Basis: Recital 14/15, Regulation 261/2004

WHATEVER THE CAUSE, YOU'RE OWED

Meals and refreshments after 2–4 hours' wait (by flight distance), plus hotel and transfers if you are delayed overnight.
On cancellation: the choice between rerouting as soon as possible, rerouting at a later date, or a full refund within 7 days.
If the airline provides no care, keep receipts — reasonable expenses are reimbursable.
These duties apply even when the disruption itself is extraordinary.

CAUGHT IN THIS RIGHT NOW?

Open the Black Box and record what the airline tells you — especially the reason. The exact wording decides the extraordinary-circumstances question later.
Ask for rerouting in writing (app chat or email), and keep every receipt.
Once you know your final delay, check your flight and generate the letter.
Airline already replied with an excuse? Decode it.

This page explains the rules that generally apply to this type of disruption. Airlines assess each claim on its own facts; eligibility for a specific flight depends on its circumstances.