Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in the light of the recent NATS technical failure, for what reason a single technical failure can cause widespread disruption.

The Government recognises that serious air traffic control incidents are rare, however when they do occur, they have a serious impact on passengers and aviation operations.

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 large numbers 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.

It is therefore essential that the causes of the technical fault on the 8th September are identified by NATS so that any changes can be implemented swiftly.

The Secretary of State has asked NATS to provide a report by 16 September setting out the cause of the incident and the actions taken in response. The Government 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.