NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe has said he became "the most disliked person in the UK" after two air traffic control failures in September disrupted flights for hundreds of thousands of passengers. Speaking at an [aviation industry conference](https://ghanasummary.com/international/air-traffic-control-boss-says-he-was-most-disliked-person-in-the-uk-after-flight-chaos), Rolfe introduced himself with the line: "My name is Martin Rolfe, I'm the CEO of Nats - or as I like to think of myself, the most disliked person in the UK in September." ## What Rolfe said about the failures Rolfe said the particular faults behind the September failures "will never recur", but added that nobody on a stage could credibly promise that a complex technical system would never suffer another fault. He also said he had not considered stepping down and had "quite enjoyed" ignoring calls from Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary to quit. ## Two failures in one month The first failure, on 8 September, hit flight data processing at NATS' Swanwick centre in Hampshire and led to more than 2,000 flights being cancelled over two days. A second, unrelated problem later in the month - a connectivity issue at the Prestwick centre - cancelled more than 170 flights. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told MPs the disruption was "completely unacceptable" and ordered an independent investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority, [The Oldham Times reports](https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/national/26574348.transport-secretary-meet-nats-chair-amid-calls-air-traffic-boss-quit/). ## What happens next The regulator's findings are expected in early 2027. Rolfe, who has led NATS since 2015, has apologised for both incidents and said he takes full responsibility for the disruption they caused.