- Ryanair has called on Martin Rolfe to resign or for Heidi Alexander to dismiss him after the 8 September 2026 NATS collapse.
- The NATS system has collapsed three times in four years under Rolfe’s leadership.
- Neal McMahon shared that the software explanation is not acceptable for passengers whose flights were cancelled or delayed.
- McMahon shared that no other ATC systems in Ireland, France, Spain, Germany or Italy have suffered system collapses.
- Alexander has tasked the Civil Aviation Authority with an independent review.
Ryanair has called on NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe to take responsibility and resign, or for Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander to dismiss him, following the collapse of the NATS air traffic control system on 8 September. The system has collapsed for the third time in four years under Rolfe’s leadership. Alexander has described the latest collapse as completely unacceptable and has tasked the Civil Aviation Authority with an independent review, a step Ryanair has viewed as delaying accountability.
Ryanair’s Chief Operations Officer Neal McMahon shared that after three system collapses in the last four years, Martin Rolfe has run out of excuses. McMahon shared that the software explanation is not an acceptable explanation for the hundreds of thousands of passengers whose flights were cancelled or delayed on 8 September. McMahon shared that the third system collapse came on top of the NATS radar collapse in July 2025 and the NATS fake flight plan collapse in August 2023. McMahon shared that the UK ATC system has suffered three major collapses while no other ATC systems in Ireland, France, Spain, Germany or Italy have suffered system collapses, and that Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander should dismiss Martin Rolfe and replace him with someone competent.
McMahon shared that Rolfe promised the Houses of Parliament that the first August 2023 collapse was a once in a lifetime event, and that three such collapses in four years mean it is time for him to take responsibility and resign. The report attributed the incident to a software failure, which Ryanair dismissed as an inadequate excuse. NATS has not confirmed a resignation.
