Committee publication · Correspondence · 15 April 2026
Letter from the Minister for Aviation, Department for Transport relating to the CAA's final report on the NATS technical IT failure in August 2023, dated 26 March 2026
From: Transport Committee
Summary
The Minister for Aviation reports that the Civil Aviation Authority has published its final progress report on the 34 recommendations from the independent review of the August 2023 NATS technical IT failure. Of these, 32 have been completed or integrated into operational practices; two remain open pending additional evidence from NATS. The government confirms its commitment to consumer protection and will explore legislative opportunities to implement recommendations.
Key findings
- 32 of 34 recommendations from the independent review have been completed or integrated into operational and regulatory practices
- Two recommendations remain open due to complex system and process changes requiring detailed validation
- CAA is awaiting additional evidence from NATS to close the two outstanding recommendations and expects to do so shortly
- All stakeholders—CAA, NATS, airlines, and airports—have demonstrated positive progress in responding to recommendations
- Government remains committed to exploring legislative opportunities to deliver recommendations aimed at strengthening UK aviation system resilience
Tone
FactualTopics
aviation-safetyair-traffic-managementinfrastructure-resilienceregulatory-compliance
Key actors
Keir Mather MP, Ruth Cadbury, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), NATS, Department for Transport
Notable line
“32 of the 34 recommendations have either been completed or integrated into operational and regulatory practices and policies …”
Key Quotes
“The report confirms that 32 of the 34 recommendations have either been completed or integrated into operational and regulatory practices and policies, aimed at delivering long term improvements for the resilience of the UK's aviation system.”
“Consumers must be protected when they travel by air, and my department remains committed to ensuring the highest level of protection possible.”
“The CAA's approach to delivering on the recommendations from the independent review into the NATS Technical IT Failure will ensure that the lessons learned from this incident will continue to drive lasting procedural changes …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗