Now Gatwick bosses impose limit on number of daily flights out of London airport for the WHOLE week as coronavirus outbreak among air traffic control staff sparks travel chaos for thousands of passengers
- Airport will be limited to 800 movements a day, starting today until October 1
- Delays due to ‘short-notice staff sickness including some incidences of Covid’
Gatwick bosses have imposed a limit on the number of daily flights out of the London airport for the whole week – as a coronavirus outbreak among air traffic control staff has sparked travel chaos for thousands of passengers.
The airport will be limited to 800 movements a day, starting today and remaining in place until Sunday, October 1.
The daily limit is designed to stop last-minute cancellations and delays for passengers while NATS – who operate the London Gatwick air traffic control tower – work through challenges caused by sickness and staffing constraints.
It comes as some 8,000 passengers were said to have been left out of position after a total of 50 flights arriving or leaving the West Sussex hub were cancelled today and yesterday.
Data from the FlightRadar24 tracking website revealed Gatwick had 26 arrivals and 23 departures cancelled yesterday. There was also one arrival cancelled today.
A coronavirus outbreak among air traffic control staff has sparked travel chaos for thousands of passengers at Gatwick Airport (pictured)
Some 8,000 passengers were said to have been left out of position after a total of 50 flights arriving or leaving the West Sussex hub were cancelled today and yesterday. Pictured: Chaos at Gatwick Airport
Passengers waiting at Gatwick Airport where delays were caused by a number of air traffic controllers staff calling in sick
Stewart Wingate, CEO of London Gatwick said: ‘This has been a very difficult decision but the action we have taken today means our airlines can fly reliable flight programmes, which gives passengers more certainty that they will not face last minute cancellations.
‘We are working closely with NATS to build resilience in the control tower, and this decision means we can prevent as much disruption as possible.
‘London Gatwick would like to sincerely apologise to any passengers who have been impacted by these restrictions.’
EasyJet made up dozens of the flights affected after a drop in the ‘flow rate’ of planes using the Gatwick runway, with some services delayed by up to seven hours.
Full list of flights cancelled at Gatwick yesterday and today
ARRIVALS
YESTERDAY
- 2.05am: Tenerife (easyJet, U28038)
- 7.05am: Dalaman (WizzAir, W95710)
- 11.20am: Belfast (easyJet, U2824)
- 2.45pm: Bilbao (Vueling, VY6307)
- 3.20pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28677)
- 4.25pm: Geneva (easyJet, U28494)
- 5.35pm: Barcelona (Vueling, VY7824)
- 6.25pm: Naples (easyJet, U28342)
- 6.25pm: Nice (easyJet, U28424)
- 6.50pm: Glasgow (easyJet, U2864)
- 6.55pm: Paris Orly (Vueling, VY8944)
- 7.10pm: Berlin (easyJet, U28626)
- 7.30pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28683)
- 7.50pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2820)
- 7:55pm: Paris CDG (easyJet, U28456)
- 8.50pm: Edinburgh (easyJet, U26474)
- 9.35pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2832)
- 9.40pm: Basel (easyJet, U28484)
- 9.45pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28687)
- 10.00pm: La Rochelle (easyJet, U28452)
- 10:10pm: Paris CDG (easyJet, U28408)
- 10.15pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2804)
- 10.15pm: Geneva (easyJet, U28498)
- 10.20pm: Isle of Man (easyJet, U2844)
- 10.25pm: Nantes (easyJet, U28448)
- 10.45pm: Edinburgh (easyJet, U2816)
TODAY
- 1.25pm: Tivat (easyJet, U28812)
DEPARTURES
YESTERDAY
- 7.50am: Belfast (easyJet, U2823)
- 1.50pm: Nice (easyJet, U28423)
- 2.55pm: Heraklion (Tui, BY5794)
- 3.15pm: Glasgow (easyJet, U2863)
- 3.25pm: Bilbao (Vueling, VY6306)
- 3.55pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28688)
- 4.45pm: Edinburgh (easyJet, U26473)
- 5.00pm: Paris (easyJet, U28455)
- 5.00pm: Geneva (easyJet, U28505)
- 5.50pm: Basel (easyJet, U28483)
- 6.10pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2831)
- 6.20pm: Barcelona (Vueling, VY7825)
- 6.30pm: Geneva (easyJet, U28495)
- 6.35pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2803)
- 6.40pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28684)
- 7.05pm: Naples (easyJet, U28341)
- 7.05pm: Paris CDG (easyJet, U28409)
- 7.05pm: Nantes (easyJet, U28447)
- 7.15pm: Isle of Man (easyJet, U2843)
- 7.45pm: Berlin (easyJet, U28627)
- 7.45pm: Paris Orly (Vueling, VY8945)
- 8.05pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28686)
- 8.30pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2821)
The airline said it was ‘extremely disappointed’ by the issues which saw eight flights cancelled to and from Belfast, and others to or from Edinburgh, Geneva and Paris.
National Air Traffic Services (Nats) based in Fareham, Hampshire, said the disruption was due to ‘short-notice staff sickness including some incidences of Covid’.
This is the third time in a month that Gatwick passengers have faced chaos due to air traffic control staff sickness, following incidents on September 14 and September 6.
That was on top of the Nats technical glitch on August 28 that caused widespread disruption at airports across the UK, leaving thousands of holidaymakers stranded.
Among those left furious by issues over the weekend was consultant psychiatrist Daniel Wilkes, from Angus, whose flight from Gatwick to Edinburgh last night was cancelled after the scheduled departure time.
He told The Independent: ‘I just can’t believe the lack of contingency planning from Nats for staff sickness and that this is happening again.
‘Plus, airports and airlines have had quite a while to firm up their processes for cancellations, and yet always the poorly managed scrum ensues. Bizarrely, we were made to exit through border control. I didn’t even have my passport as it was a domestic flight.’
Dr Wilkes rebooked an easyJet flight this morning from London Stansted to Edinburgh, after travelling there in an Uber for £100 and spending £159 on a hotel at the Essex airport – which he hopes the airline will pay.
Others took to social media to complain of disruption, with one writing on X: ‘Hello @easyJet my flight back to London Gatwick from Amsterdam was cancelled and I am currently stranded in the airport and cannot get through to your customer services. Please can you help me.’
Another posted: ‘AI172 should have departed at 20:00 – whilst I can see the gate number online, my mum at the airport has been asked to wait by the screen in a very packed terminal, airport are blaming the airline but can’t be the case as ALL flights are delayed. Answers please?’.
And a third wrote: ‘@easyJet you have cancelled the 4pm Gatwick to Schiphol and didn’t complete confirmation for my rescheduled flight, booked through your shoddy app that crash’s. Now all flights full today. Your staff were useless in the airport refusing to help and I have to get home today.’
A fourth added: ‘@easyJet very unhappy this weekend. After a delay inc 25 mins on tarmac after landing at Gatwick on Friday, rtn flight today cancelled and only alternative landed 2+ hrs later. Which is now running 1+ hr late, including standing in an outdoor holding area for 30+ mins.’
Vueling cancelled six flights to and from Barcelona, Bilbao and Paris.
One passenger wrote on X: ‘Vueling flight from Paris to Gatwick cancelled this evening. Next flight Tuesday. Going to miss connection to Dublin.’
An easyJet spokesman told MailOnline: ‘Nats air traffic control staffing shortages at Gatwick has led to a significantly reduced flow rate being imposed on all airlines meaning flights to and from Gatwick Airport have been subject to disruption and we have been asked not to operate some others.
‘We are extremely disappointed that customers are once again being impacted by this and while this is outside of our control, we are sorry for the inconvenience caused to our customers.
‘We are doing all possible to minimise the impact of the disruption and have notified those on cancelled flights of their options to rebook or receive a refund and are providing hotel accommodation and meals where required.’
A Gatwick spokesperson said: ‘Due to short notice sickness in the air-traffic control tower including cases of Covid-19, temporary air traffic control restrictions were put in place yesterday. This caused some delays and cancellations by airlines.
‘We worked hard to minimise disruption and we apologise for any inconvenience. The air-traffic control tower is fully staffed this morning.’
And a Nats spokeswoman told MailOnline: ‘We very much regret that some passengers experienced delays at Gatwick yesterday (Sunday, September 24).
‘This was due to short notice staff sickness including some incidences of Covid. We did all we could to minimise disruption, working closely with the airport and airlines.
‘We have worked very hard to increase the number of controllers, but it will take some time to build full resilience.
‘It does mean, though, that short notice absences may lead to air traffic control regulations being applied in order to maintain safety, and we are all very sorry for the impact this has.’
‘Chaotic’ scenes at Gatwick as passengers bound for India are left stranded in terminal overnight
Passengers travelling from Gatwick to Ahmedabad on an Air India flight faced ‘chaotic’ scenes last night after elderly and disabled passengers were allegedly left stranded on the floor at the London terminal overnight.
Flight AI172 was due to take off at 8pm and began boarding at 7pm before all passengers were then asked to disembark.
Amita Shah, 52, who has recently had a shoulder surgery and is suffering from knee pain, was among those on board.
Her daughter-in-law Aarti Nair told MailOnline today: ‘Initially, everything seemed to be alright until 7pm, when suddenly all passengers were asked to disembark without any explanation.
Passengers for an Air India flight at Gatwick last night had to wait on the terminal floor
‘This caused concern, especially for elderly passengers who required wheelchair assistance. As time went on, the staff seemed to be less and less, leaving many passengers to walk and assist the staff.
‘Unfortunately, this confusion caused an old lady to suffer from high blood pressure. By 7.30pm, all passengers were off the plane, and chaos ensued.’
Ms Nair claimed that Ms Shah was given a £7.50 voucher to buy food at 9.30pm, but most shops were closing and the toilets were unavailable.
Ms Shah then endured a ‘restless night filled with rumours’, before she was taken with some other passengers at 7am to a nearby Ibis hotel.
Ms Nair added: ‘However, the hotel required passengers to hand over their passports and boarding passes before being given a room. Mum didn’t take the room as she wasn’t comfortable giving her passport.
Amita Shah, 52, was among those affected by the disruption at Gatwick last night
‘After some negotiations, they were offered some food and given two options by Air India: take a connecting flight via Delhi or a direct flight on Wednesday. We chose the Wednesday flight, and my mother-in-law arrived home at 11am.’
Air India responded to criticism of the airline made by Ms Nair on X, with the airline posting a message saying: ‘Dear Ma’am, we regret the trouble caused.
‘We never want to disrupt the travel plans of our guests and our team is trying its best to get all the passengers to their destination safely. Please be rest assured, our team will be in touch with you regarding further updates.’
It added: ‘We always try to avoid delays and the cancellation of flights. However, due to certain factors, the schedule gets impacted. Our team is trying its best to minimise the inconvenience caused.’
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