A military aircraft submitting incorrect flight data caused a widespread outage in Britain’s air traffic control system this week, grounding thousands of flights and sparking a crisis that threatens the leadership of the country’s air traffic agency.

Sources familiar with the incident said a UK military plane entered a flight plan containing “spurious” information, triggering a cascade of failures that led to the shutdown of Britain’s airspace for several hours on Tuesday. The problem generated a system-wide meltdown within National Air Traffic Services (Nats), the agency jointly owned by the government and airlines, and took multiple attempts to resolve.

The outage has intensified tensions between airlines and Nats, with some industry figures expressing anger that earlier assurances about preventing such failures had not been fulfilled. One airline executive noted that while recommendations were made after a similar disruption in 2023, evidence of their complete implementation was lacking.

In response to the disruption, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander summoned Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe for a meeting on Wednesday. Aviation Minister Keir Mather also convened a call with airline leaders to discuss the situation. Alexander described the outage as “not unavoidable” and ordered Nats to produce a comprehensive report within a week to identify the root causes. “We need to get to the bottom of this,” she said.

Although Rolfe can only be removed from his position by the Nats board, chaired by former Rolls-Royce chief Warren East, the government’s stance could influence his tenure. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced it will conduct an independent investigation, expected to report in six months. However, next week’s report from Nats is seen as pivotal for Rolfe’s future. One source familiar with the matter cautioned against premature action before all facts emerge, but another close observer described Rolfe’s position as “toast.”

Officials indicated that the involvement of a military aircraft was not directly linked to the subsequent system failure. The Ministry of Defence declined to comment on the incident.

More than three days after the outage, flight schedules had only just returned to normal, underscoring the disruption’s lasting impact. Airlines are now calling for significant reforms at Nats to avoid future incidents. Yvonne Moynihan, UK chief of Wizz Air, said the agency must demonstrate meaningful change if it wants to maintain credibility.

The incident has raised serious questions about the resilience and preparedness of Britain’s air traffic management, as stakeholders seek clarity and accountability following one of the country’s most significant aviation disruptions in recent years.