Nats CEO Defends Position After September Air Traffic Failures
Nats CEO Martin Rolfe rejected calls for his resignation during a London conference following two major system failures that disrupted thousands of passengers in September.
National Air Traffic Control Services CEO Martin Rolfe addressed the Airlines 2026 conference in London, defending his leadership after two major system failures in September. The first outage on September 8 caused tens of millions of pounds in losses for airlines, and a second glitch on September 21 at the Prestwick control centre resulted in over 200 cancellations.
Despite repeated demands for his resignation from Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary and other airline leaders, Rolfe stated he has not considered quitting. He acknowledged being the "most disliked person in the UK" during the crisis and accepted the personal responsibility that comes with the role. While Rolfe claimed the specific faults that caused the September disruptions will not recur, he noted that no one can credibly promise a complex technical system will never experience another fault.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the failures as "simply unacceptable" and vowed to ensure that lessons are learned. Alexander stated she will take necessary action once the Civil Aviation Authority completes its review of the incidents in early 2027.
