Ryanair chief disputes UK air traffic control account of service outage

Ryanair's chief executive has contested the official account of a major air traffic control outage that disrupted flight operations across the United Kingdom, escalating tensions between the low-cost carrier and NATS, the country's primary air navigation service provider.

O'Leary alleged that NATS attributed the service failure to a rogue flight plan in the system. He characterised this explanation as problematic given that an identical issue had previously resulted in widespread disruption during 2023, suggesting systemic vulnerabilities in the service provider's operations.

The dispute underscores growing friction between European airlines and air traffic management operators over service reliability and accountability. Multiple carriers depend on NATS' infrastructure for flights across UK airspace, making outages a critical concern for the aviation sector.

NATS has not yet responded publicly to O'Leary's criticism. The incident marks another chapter in broader discussions about infrastructure resilience within European aviation networks, with operational disruptions carrying significant economic and logistical consequences for carriers and passengers alike.