Gatwick Airport disruption explained after 'global Microsoft issue'

A mass IT outage has been reported worldwide this morning (Friday, July 19) – reportedly affecting airlines, airports, railway companies, the London Stock Exchange and media organisations.

Southern Railway, which operates trains across Sussex, said it is currently experiencing ‘widespread IT issues across our entire network’.

Now, London Gatwick Airport has issued a statement.

A spokesperson told Sussex World: “Early this morning we began experiencing issues with some of our IT systems. This is a global Microsoft issue affecting some airlines’ check-in systems, baggage and security, including eGates.

“We are using our backup process, but some passengers may experience delays while checking in and passing through security.

“Passengers should still arrive for their normal check-in time, which is typically two hours ahead of the flight time for short-haul, and three hours for long-haul. We apologise for any inconvenience and are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”

Airline Ryanair updated followers on social media.

A statement read: “We’re currently experiencing disruption across the network due to a Global 3rd party IT outage which is out of our control. We advise all passengers to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before their scheduled departure time.

"If you're due to travel today and have not already checked-in for your flight, you can do so at the airport. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused as a result of this Global 3rd party IT outage.”