UK CAA: NATS outage likely 'extraordinary circumstances', limiting passenger compensation

The UK Civil Aviation Authority issued a statement on the NATS flight-planning system technical issue of 8 September 2026, which led to delays and the cancellation of hundreds of UK arriving and departing flights and continued knock-on disruption. The CAA considers delays and cancellations directly caused by the outage, and by its knock-on effects, likely to be 'extraordinary circumstances' under passenger rights rules, meaning passengers are unlikely to be entitled to compensation, though airlines should still look after them. The CAA reminded airlines of obligations including offering refunds, re-routing at the earliest opportunity or at a later date, and providing meals, refreshments and…