Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of NATS systems failures in 2026 on the economy in Scotland including tourism, businesses connectivity and the Highland and Islands.

We are still in the process of understanding the impact of NATS outages across the UK, including in Scotland. However, we recognise that disruption to air services can have consequences for passengers, businesses and regional connectivity, including for communities that rely on aviation links.

The Secretary of State has commissioned the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to lead an independent investigation of the NATS outage on 8 September, which will also consider the technical issue that occurred in Prestwick on 21 September. The review will examine the causes of the incidents, broader questions relating to NATS' resilience, capital investment and modernisation plans, and the effectiveness of the CAA's regulatory oversight, helping to identify any lessons needed to strengthen the resilience of the UK air traffic management system.