Flights Cancelled Around Europe as Edinburgh, London, and 17 Other Airports Cancel 204 and Delay 2,209, Disrupting Air Travel Throughout The Continent

Several travelers across Europe, especially the UK, are left facing heavy flight disruptions after a technical issue affected air traffic control systems at NATS’s Prestwick centre in Scotland. Across the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands and Belgium there were 2,209 delays and 204 cancellations affecting travel at major airports. Amsterdam Schiphol was the most disrupted airport by the combined number of delays and cancellations, while easyJet was the most affected airline. Manchester, London Heathrow, Charles de Gaulle in Paris and Edinburgh were also among the airports facing the highest levels of disruption. Ryanair, KLM, British Airways, Jet2 and Air France were among the other airlines most affected.

• easyJet recorded 361 delays, the highest airline delay total.
• Ryanair followed with 241 delays.
• Amsterdam Schiphol recorded 388 delays and 22 cancellations.
• Manchester recorded 246 delays and 14 cancellations.
• London Heathrow recorded 215 delays and 15 cancellations.
• Charles de Gaulle in Paris recorded 216 delays and 8 cancellations.
• Edinburgh recorded 157 delays and 18 cancellations.
• easyJet recorded 100 cancellations, the highest airline cancellation total.
• Air travel in the UK is affected across cities including London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Leeds, Bristol, Southampton, Newcastle and Liverpool.

Hardest-Hit European Airports

Amsterdam Schiphol — Amsterdam

Amsterdam Schiphol recorded 388 delays and 22 cancellations. KLM accounted for 202 delays and 13 cancellations, while easyJet recorded 26 delays and 6 cancellations. The delay rate was 25% for origin flights and 26% for destination flights.

Manchester

Manchester recorded 246 delays and 14 cancellations. easyJet had 71 delays and 7 cancellations, followed by Jet2 with 44 delays and no cancellations. The delay rate was 34% for origin flights and 37% for destination flights.

London Heathrow — London

London Heathrow recorded 215 delays and 15 cancellations. British Airways accounted for 158 delays and 11 cancellations, while KLM recorded 4 delays and 2 cancellations. The delay rate was 16% for origin flights and 14% for destination flights.

Charles de Gaulle — Paris

Charles de Gaulle recorded 216 delays and 8 cancellations. Air France had 82 delays and 1 cancellation, while easyJet recorded 34 delays and 4 cancellations. The delay rate was 19% for origin flights and 13% for destination flights.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh recorded 157 delays and 18 cancellations. easyJet accounted for 40 delays and 14 cancellations, while Ryanair recorded 24 delays and no cancellations. The delay rate was 40% for origin flights and 35% for destination flights.

Dublin Int’l — Dublin

Dublin Int’l recorded 155 delays and 9 cancellations. Ryanair had 45 delays and 2 cancellations, while Emerald Airlines recorded 44 delays and 4 cancellations. The delay rate was 18% for origin flights and 20% for destination flights.

Zurich (Kloten) — Zurich

Zurich (Kloten) recorded 150 delays and 4 cancellations. Swiss had 56 delays, while Edelweiss Air AG recorded 15 delays. easyJet recorded 4 delays and 2 cancellations. The delay rate was 19%.

London Stansted — London

London Stansted recorded 113 delays and 4 cancellations. Ryanair had 51 delays with no cancellations, while Ryanair UK recorded 30 delays. easyJet had 8 delays and 4 cancellations. The delay rate was 17% for origin flights and 20% for destination flights.

Nice Cote d’Azur — Nice

Nice Cote d’Azur recorded 104 delays and 4 cancellations. easyJet recorded 32 delays and 4 cancellations, while Jet2 and ITA Airways each recorded 4 delays. The delay rate was 24% for origin flights and 16% for destination flights.

Glasgow Int’l — Glasgow

Glasgow Int’l recorded 94 delays and 12 cancellations. easyJet accounted for 24 delays and 10 cancellations, while Jet2 recorded 20 delays. The delay rate was 37% for origin flights and 37% for destination flights.

Airlines Most Disrupted by Flight Cancellations and Delays

easyJet

easyJet recorded 361 delays across the airports in Europe, the highest airline delay total, along with 100 cancellations. Its largest delay total came at Manchester, while its highest cancellation count came at Belfast Int’l.

Ryanair

Ryanair recorded 241 delays and 34 cancellations. Its delay totals were concentrated at Dublin Int’l, London Stansted, Manchester and Edinburgh, with additional delays at several other airports.

KLM

KLM recorded 233 delays and 19 cancellations. Amsterdam Schiphol accounted for 202 of its delays and 13 cancellations, making the Amsterdam hub its main source of disruption.

British Airways

British Airways recorded 189 delays and 19 cancellations. London Heathrow accounted for 158 delays and 11 cancellations, with additional disruption at Glasgow Int’l, Belfast City, Edinburgh, Dublin Int’l, Amsterdam Schiphol and Newcastle.

Jet2

Jet2 recorded 136 delays and no cancellations across the airports. Manchester contributed 44 delays, followed by Glasgow Int’l with 20 and Leeds Bradford Int’l with 16.

Air France

Air France recorded 87 delays and 1 cancellation. Most of its delays came at Charles de Gaulle in Paris, where it recorded 82 delays.

What Should Passengers Facing Flight Cancellations Do?

• Check the latest flight status with the airline before leaving for the airport.
• Contact the airline promptly about rebooking, alternative flights or applicable refund options.
• Keep boarding passes, booking confirmations and receipts for any eligible expenses.
• Allow extra travel time and monitor airport or airline notifications for schedule changes.
• Follow the airline’s instructions on baggage, transfers and rebooking arrangements.

What Is Causing Disruptions In Europe Today?

The main reason for the current flight disruption is a technical issue involving the air traffic control systems at NATS’s Prestwick centre in Scotland. NATS initially reported the problem early in the morning and later said it had been fixed, describing the cause as a connectivity issue within its systems network.

NATS also said the incident was unrelated to the software issue on 8 September, which had led to hundreds of flight cancellations. Although the Prestwick problem was addressed, knock-on effects continued to affect flights across the UK, with delays and cancellations appearing at airports in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Leeds, Bristol, Southampton, Newcastle and Liverpool.

The disruption is therefore being seen across Europe alongside the continuing knock-on effects from the air traffic control issue rather than from a single airport problem.

Overview of Europe Flight Cancellations

Flight cancellations across the UK and wider Europe are being recorded among several major airlines, with easyJet, Ryanair, KLM, British Airways, Jet2 and Air France among the airlines showing the highest combined delay or cancellation totals.

London is a recurring centre of disruption, with London Heathrow, London Stansted and London Luton all reporting cancellations or delays. Manchester and Edinburgh are also among the airports seeing higher totals, while Paris is affected through Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam through Amsterdam Schiphol.

The pattern also extends to Dublin Int’l, Glasgow Int’l, Zurich (Kloten) and Nice Cote d’Azur, where passengers are seeing a mix of delays and cancellations. easyJet has the highest combined airline totals in the airports, while Ryanair, KLM and British Airways also account for notable levels of disruption.

As the knock-on effects from the Prestwick air traffic control issue continue to work through schedules, passengers across the UK and Europe should continue checking their individual flight status and airline updates before travelling.

Yesterday also saw significant flight cancellations. Read our earlier coverage here.

The data has been extensively curated by our editorial team using real-time aviation figures recorded on 21 September 2026 at 12:16 pm ET USA (4:16 pm GMT)

Primary Source: FlightAware.

Verification Protocol: All statistics have been independently reviewed and cross-checked by our human editorial desk. Timestamped records, data logs and feed snapshots are securely archived internally to support historical accuracy and editorial transparency.

Note: Real-time flight-tracking figures reflect active airspace and operational data. Minor variations may occur when compared with information displayed at individual airport terminals or airline departure gates.

Travelers are advised to check directly with their respective airlines and airports for the latest flight status, schedule changes and operational updates.

Verified by Somudranil Sarkar