The transport secretary is set to meet with Sir Warren East, chairman of the National Air Traffic Services (Nats) board, to discuss the future of the organisation’s chief executive, Martin Rolfe, amid increasing calls for his dismissal. The meeting, scheduled to take place in the coming weeks, follows a series of significant disruptions under Rolfe’s leadership.

Nats, which oversees Britain’s air traffic control, experienced a major failure on Monday at its Prestwick centre, leading to the cancellation of more than 250 flights and causing widespread delays at surrounding airports. This incident marks the second major system failure in two weeks and the fourth in three years during Rolfe’s tenure. Despite the disruptions, Rolfe received a reported £1.5 million in pay last year.

Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, has expressed strong concern about the recent service breakdowns, describing the impact as “very concerning.” Alexander said she had held a “full and frank conversation” with Rolfe, conveying her anger about the situation. She has also tasked the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the sector regulator, with conducting an investigation into Nats’ performance. The CAA is expected to report its findings within six months.

The government holds a 49 percent stake in Nats and has the ability to withdraw its support for the chief executive, while the Nats board retains the formal authority to remove him. Alexander plans to engage with the board and other major shareholders, which include British Airways and EasyJet, before making a decision on Rolfe’s future. She indicated that her continued confidence in the chief executive will depend on the outcomes of the regulatory inquiry.

Meanwhile, major airlines Ryanair and Wizz Air have publicly called for Rolfe to either resign or be removed from his position, citing the recent failures as evidence of poor leadership and inadequate system oversight. The debate over Rolfe’s future reflects growing tensions within the UK aviation sector over reliability and operational resilience in air traffic management.