A Nats spokesman apologised for the “inconvenience passengers suffered” because of the “very unusual technical incident”.
He said: “Our own internal investigation made 48 recommendations, most of which we have already implemented; these include improving our engagement with our airline and airport customers, our wider contingency and crisis response, and our engineering support processes.
“We fixed the specific issue that caused the problem last year as our first priority and it cannot reoccur.
“We will study the independent review report very carefully for any recommendations we have not already addressed and will support their industry-wide recommendations.”
The inquiry noted that a number of affected passengers waited “many weeks, and in some cases months” for airlines to refund their out-of-pocket expenses.
It recommended that the CAA is given the power to “take consumer enforcement action” without going through the courts, which could include the ability to fine airlines.
Ms Haigh said: “My priority is to ensure all passengers feel confident when they fly.
“That’s why my department will look to introduce reforms, when we can, to provide air travellers with the highest level of protection possible.”