Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in the light of the recent NATS technical failure, what availability and resilience standard NATS is required to meet.

The Government apologises to passengers across the United Kingdom who faced significant disruption as a result of the issues that impacted NATS' operation on 8 September, resulting in delays and cancellations for a large number of passengers, as well as the disruption that it has caused for industry. Let me be clear that disruption of this kind is absolutely unacceptable.

NATS' primary objective is to provide a safe air traffic service, while also delivering a resilient and reliable operation that enables aircraft to move efficiently through UK airspace. Safety remains the overriding priority in all operational decisions, with system resilience and service continuity essential to maintaining public confidence in the aviation network.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) provides independent regulatory oversight of NATS' safety and operational performance, including monitoring performance against agreed targets and reviewing major incidents. The Department for Transport works closely with both the CAA and NATS to support a safe, resilient and effective air traffic system for passengers and the wider aviation sector.

The Department receives regular updates from NATS on the modernisation of its air traffic control systems, with technical changes closely monitored and overseen by the CAA as the independent regulator.

The Secretary of State asked NATS to provide a report by 16 September setting out the cause of the incident and the actions taken in response. The Secretary of State has also asked the CAA to conduct an independent review and will provide an update within 6 months. This will provide an important opportunity to review existing arrangements, ensure lessons are learned, and identify any further measures required to enhance resilience.