Ryanair Directs Passenger Complaints โขto UK Transport Minister โขAmidst Flight Delays
Ryanair isโ urging passengers impacted byโข flight delays to contact โขUK Transport Minister Heidi Alexander directly,โข responding to โa surge of complaints regarding โdisruptions. The airline attributes โขthe delays โขnot toโ its ownโค operations, but to failings withinโข the UK’s โคair traffic โฃcontrol (ATC) system.
Ryanair has prominently displayedโฃ Alexander’s emailโ address on a dedicated webpage titled ‘Air Trafficโข Control Ruinedโค Your Flight’ (or ‘Air Traffic โฃRegulatory Service โคDamagingโค your flight’), making it publiclyโ accessible.The โฃairlineโฃ reports that 5,782 flights have beenโ affected by delays โstemming โฃfrom issues with NATS, the UK’s primary ATC service provider, between the beginning of the year and September 1st.
The airlineโ is specifically calling on โฃMinister โAlexander to โฃaddress shortcomings withinโ NATS, citing “mismanagement and lack of staff” as theโ root causes of the โคdisruptions. โคRyanair argues that NATS’s issues are a result of incorrect staffing levels and broader organizationalโ problems.
The โUK government holds a 49% stake in NATS, alongside “gold shares” granting them additional controlโค over theโฃ company. โ
“Itโค is not โคacceptable that mismanagement and lack of staff in the ATC NATS service continues to cause disruption to flights and passengers in the UK,” stated Ryanair Director of Dialog, Jade Kirwan, in aโข statement reported by The Independent on Septemberโ 20, 2025.”This year alone, moreโค than one million Ryanairโค passengers, many of them travelling for aโข vacation with young families, have suffered unnecessary ATC delays and should โฃbe avoided. All of thisโข is because Minister Alexander has not taken โaction to ensure Britishโ ATC services have adequate staff.”
Ryanair is advocating for immediate improvements to national ATC services to prevent further delays. NATS declined to comment on the situation, โฃbutโ recently referenced data from Eurocontrol, the European Air Traffic Management Agency. According to Eurocontrol, NATS handled 23.7% of European air traffic in July โฃ2025 and was responsible โฃfor 1.8% of flight delays across Europe.
Passengers affectedโค by the delays have taken to social media to shareโข their experiences, detailingโ lengthy airport waits, missed connections, and cancelled vacations. Manyโฃ have expressed frustration โwith the lack of information โฃand accountability from NATS. Online petitions and open letters demanding ATC service improvements, compensation, and a direct explanation from the Transport โMinister are circulating. Spontaneous protests have also occurred at some โขairports, with passengers demanding transparencyโค and a concrete plan to resolve the ongoing delays.