Thousands stranded after new Gatwick air traffic control slowdown

Thousands of air passengers woke up far from where they had planned to be due to an “unavoidable staff shortage” in the air traffic control tower at London Gatwick Airport on Friday night.

EasyJet, the main airline at Sussex airport, has cancelled dozens of flights and diverted four arrivals to Luton.

Airport officials say air traffic control provider Nats must “urgently ensure resource levels are in place to avoid disruption to our passengers”.

Gatwick is the UK’s second largest aviation hub, after Heathrow, and the world’s busiest single-runway airport.

The cancelled departures included two flights to Belfast International and Edinburgh, as well as longer flights to Malta, Majorca and Venice.

British Airways and Wizz Air also cancelled flights, while Vueling and Norwegian each diverted an inbound flight to Stansted.

The Independent More than 50 flights in total are estimated to have been cancelled, leaving more than 8,000 passengers stranded on a Friday night trying to reach or fly from Gatwick.

A spokesperson for air traffic control provider Nats said the cause was “an unavoidable staff shortage affecting our team at the airport”.

They said: “We are working closely with the airport and airlines to minimise disruption and manage diversions safely. We sincerely apologise for the delay and inconvenience this is causing to airlines and their passengers.”

A Gatwick Airport spokesperson said: “We are working closely with the Nats and airlines to minimise disruption.

“Going forward, we call on Nats management to urgently ensure that resource levels are in place to avoid any disruption to our passengers.”

In September 2023, dozens of arrivals and departures were cancelled and a flight cap was imposed after almost a third of Gatwick’s control tower staff were unable to work “for various medical reasons, including Covid”.

An easyJet spokesperson said: “Due to staffing issues at Nats Air Traffic Control at Gatwick, a significantly reduced throughput has been imposed on airlines, meaning some flights to and from Gatwick have been unable to operate.

“We are doing everything we can to minimise the impact of the disruption and have informed people whose flights have been cancelled of their options.

“Although this is completely beyond our control, we apologize for the inconvenience this may cause our customers.”

Under air passenger rights rules, stranded travellers are entitled to hotel rooms and meals, as well as connecting flights as soon as possible on any airline with available seats.

Operations at Gatwick resumed on Saturday morning, albeit with some delays of up to two hours.