The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has denied responsibility for a data entry error by a military jet that was reported to have contributed to a major air traffic control system failure earlier this week. The disruption, which began on Tuesday at National Air Traffic Services (Nats), led to the cancellation of more than 2,000 flights and continued to affect schedules on Wednesday.

According to a report citing multiple sources, a flight plan submitted by a military aircraft triggered a glitch in the air traffic control system, which cascaded into broader operational issues. However, the MoD has stated that it has found no evidence pointing to any mistake by military personnel in connection with the incident.

An MoD spokesperson emphasized that the matter remains under active investigation by Nats, the organization responsible for managing UK airspace. “Because it’s subject to a live Nats investigation, which is expected to conclude next week, it would be inappropriate for us to comment any further while that investigation is ongoing,” the spokesperson said.

Nats has acknowledged the ongoing probe, stating that it continues to work to identify the root cause of the disruption. The breakdown in the system brought widespread travel delays and cancellations across the UK, prompting criticism and calls for accountability. Some parties have called for the resignation of Martin Rolfe, Nats’ chief executive, citing the severity of the incident and its impact on the aviation sector.

While Nats and the MoD remain engaged in investigating the sequence of events, the full explanation of what caused the air traffic control failure and how the reported flight plan submission factored into it has yet to be disclosed. The findings of the investigation are expected to be announced next week.