Passengers left ‘locked in stairwell’ at Gatwick airport after flight delay

‘We’re pretty angry about the situation,’ says delayed passenger

(Simon Calder)

Passengers at Gatwick were left “locked in a stairwell” as temperatures soared yesterday, while others were stuck at the airport for three and a half hours despite their plane being ready due to a shortage of buses.

Frustrated traveller Debbie Shipley shared pictures on social media of passengers in a stairwell, with many sitting on the stairs with their heads in their hands.

“Good work @easyJet @Gatwick_Airport, two hour delay to finally get moving all the way to be locked into a staircase with no plane or bus in sight,” she tweeted.

“I would like to know if it’s OK to lock 40 people in a stairwell?” she asked the airport’s social media account.

“I’m sorry your airline experienced a delay with boarding. I hope you weren’t kept waiting too long,” came the response.

Ms Shipley replied: “Well yeah, we’re still here after we were meant to go at 5.55am. What I would like to know if your health and safety procedures for locking 40 odd people in a stairwell. Can you please confirm that your processes are OK with that?”

Gatwick’s account said this was down to easyJet, replying: “You would need to ask your airline this question as they are responsible for this.”

Meanwhile, passenger Sophie Lain said her flight was delayed by three and a half hours due to a “bus shortage” at Gatwick.

She told the Mail Online: “Our flight was meant to depart at 7.50am, we ended up departing at 11.25am. Our gate closed at 7.20am so everyone was waiting for hours. There wasn’t enough seating so most people were sat on the floor.

“The easyJet crew were very apologetic, they said Gatwick was having a bus shortage and they’d been ready and waiting on the plane for three hours.”

Ms Lain added that the airport was having catering issues too, meaning there was no hot food and that the only savoury options available were “Pringles and crackers with spreadable cheese”.

She was particularly aggrieved as her original flight had already been cancelled.

“We’re pretty angry about the situation seeing as how we originally booked a later flight, which was cancelled. We had to stay at a hotel in the airport to be able to make the early flight we were given instead, cost not covered of course, all for this ridiculous disruption.”

A Gatwick spokesperson said: “We apologise to passengers who may have had to wait longer than usual to be coached to/from aircraft last night. Unfortunately this was caused by a combined shortage of both ground handlers and coach drivers, due to staff sickness.”

The Independent has approached easyJet and Gatwick airport for comment.