Gatwick flight delays: Passengers hit with long waits and crowding after airport suspends flights
Flights were suspended for two hours
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Your support makes all the difference.Gatwick Airport has resumed all flights after an ”air traffic control systems issue” caused the airport to shut for two hours.
After the issue forced Britain’s second-busiest airport to ground all flights, Gatwick eventually announced on Twitter: “Following an earlier air traffic control systems issue, flights to and from Gatwick have now resumed. If you are travelling this evening, please check the status of your flight with your airline before travelling to the airport, as we return to full operations.”
In the midst of the issue, which related to the control tower and which lasted roughly two hours, flights were cancelled, delayed or diverted to other airports, prompting complaints on social media and long queues.
So far, 28 flights have reportedly been cancelled, with 26 flights diverted to other airports.
Despite the issue now being resolved, passengers are continuing to see delays and cancellations, with the airport warning that they may continue into the night.
On Twitter, easyJet passengers have shared photos of the chaotic aftermath in the London airport. However, the airline has warned passengers they will not receive cash compensation as the disruption “is beyond our control and is considered an extraordinary circumstance”.
According to Gatwick, it is “aiming to operate a full schedule of flights tomorrow”.
The disruption comes after the airport was closed for 33 hours in December as a result of unauthorised drone activity.
Catch-up on events as they happened below
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A photo shared on Twitter shows what appears to be severe crowding at Gatwick airport, despite the issue being resolved.
In its latest update shared to Twitter, Gatwick airport has reconfirmed flights have resumed but warned passengers they may continue to see cancellations and delays as "we move back into full operations".
According to the airport, they are aiming to "operate a full schedule of flights tomorrow".
So far, 28 flights have been cancelled, with 26 flights diverted to other airports.
The airport has asked that passengers continue to check the status of their flights with their respective airlines.
Passenger photos from inside Gatwick continue to show the chaos caused as a result of the nearly two-hour shutdown.
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