Gatwick Airport passengers left stranded after air traffic control chaos

Flights have now resumed from the airport but Gatwick warned, on Wednesday morning (September 9), that it would take time for operations to fully return to normal.

The disruption on Tuesday left some passengers facing lengthy waits on aircraft, while others said they struggled to get information or recover their luggage after flights were cancelled.

The disruption also left some passengers facing the prospect of spending the night at Gatwick, after flights were cancelled or delayed for hours.

There were reports on social media of passengers sleeping on the airport floor, if they were unable to book last-minute hotel rooms in the local area, due to the high demand.

One passenger, posting on X under the name @melanoire0, claimed they had spent six hours on an aircraft on the tarmac at Gatwick.

They wrote: “Not allowed to get off the plane. Every seat taken. Hot and claustrophobic. £3.50 for water. Lovely.”

Another passenger, @mollymac, said their flight had been due to leave at 1.30pm but they had subsequently been told it would not leave until 9pm at the earliest.

They wrote: “Not allowed to get off plane or we forfeit our right to refund. This feels BAD.”

Photographs posted by another passenger, @MintyoftheYard, appeared to show large crowds inside Gatwick.

They wrote: “@UKBorder absolute state of this at Gatwick – 30 e-gates not open.”

Other passengers described difficulties after flights were cancelled.

One passenger, @no_intensions, said they had been unable to find anyone to help recover their luggage.

They added: “So I left Gatwick with no flight, no communication, no refund and no luggage.”

Another passenger, @AngelstoZombies, said they had been left stranded after a cancelled flight and claimed they had received no assistance.

They wrote: “I am a lone disabled female stranded at Gatwick Airport due to a cancelled flight. I know that is not your fault but do you not have a duty of care? I was offered zero assistance and just told to claim the cancellation flight back.”

Ashleigh Ward, posting as @aashleighhxxx, said she was ‘absolutely disgusted’ after waiting hours for her luggage after her flight was cancelled.

She wrote: “My flight was cancelled five hours ago and I am still waiting for my luggage 4 hours later. I am stranded with a very anxious eight-year-old!”

What caused the disruption?

The problems began on Tuesday when National Air Traffic Services (NATS) reported a technical issue affecting its flight processing system.

NATS said it implemented a fix during the afternoon and later confirmed the system issue had been resolved.

However, NATS warned that recovering from the incident would take time because of the knock-on effects across the aviation network.

At 10.15pm, NATS said: “Work is continuing to assist airlines and airports recover from today's disruption.”

It described the recovery as ‘very complex’ and said it had ‘created difficulties for the whole aviation network’.

NATS said: “We apologise again for the disruption caused.”

It advised passengers to check with their airline for the status of flights that night and the following day.

At 6.45am on Wednesday, Gatwick Airport confirmed that flights had resumed.

It warned, however: “We still anticipate that it will take time for our operations to fully return to normal.”

Passengers were told to continue checking with their airlines for the latest information.

Response from airlines

British Airways (BA) – one the many airlines affected – revealed on Wednesday morning that it cancelled more than 190 flights.

The technical issue with NATS' flight processing system affected multiple airports across the UK, including Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Stansted, Birmingham, London City, Luton, Edinburgh and Bristol.

BA said its teams had worked through the night to create a new flight schedule, but the number of aircraft and crew out of place had left it with no choice but to cancel more than 190 flights from its original schedule.

In an update issued at 10am, the airline said: "While this incident has been completely outside of our control, we do not underestimate the impact it has had on the tens of thousands of our customers who faced disruption yesterday and today, and we're very sorry.

"If you have been disrupted, we're doing everything we can to try and get you to where you need to be. Thank you for your understanding while we work to find solutions for everyone."

The airline warned customers that its phone lines and chat services were ‘extremely busy’ and asked people whose flights had been cancelled not to come to the airport.

It said passengers who no longer wanted to travel could move their flight for free up until Friday, September 11.

British Airways also warned customers to ‘only rely on official British Airways channels for updates’, amid potential scams.

EasyJet has also warned customers of continuing disruption following the NATS air traffic control system failure.

The airline said the incident had caused delays and cancellations for airlines across Europe. It advised passengers due to travel soon to check its Flight Tracker and travel to the airport as planned.

The airline said: "We are doing all we can to minimise the impact of this disruption for our customers."

It added that if a flight is cancelled, customers will be contacted directly by email with information about their options, including a free transfer or refund, as well as meals and hotel accommodation for those who require them.

Passengers already at an airport have been told to follow the latest information provided by easyJet's ground crew.

The airline also said its dedicated support team would contact easyJet holidays customers affected by the disruption.

Rail ticket rules relaxed for Gatwick passengers hit by flight disruption

Rail ticket restrictions have been relaxed for passengers affected by the air traffic control disruption at Gatwick.

Passengers travelling on National Rail services, including Southern, Gatwick Express and Thameslink, will be able to use existing tickets if they are arriving back in the UK or departing at a different time than originally planned.

The arrangement applies to tickets dated for Tuesday, September 8, or Wednesday, September 9, where the ticket can be used on the new date of the rescheduled flight.

Passengers must show a valid airline ticket or cancellation/amendment notification if requested during an inspection.

Passengers can also claim fee-free refunds within 28 days of the date of travel if they abandoned their train journey or had to buy a new ticket to or from a different airport because their flight was diverted.

A spokesperson for GTR said: "Ticket rules have been relaxed across the National Rail network to support passengers who have been affected by air traffic control disruption this week.

"We want to help people get to where they need to be without additional worry."

Can passengers claim compensation?

MoneySuperMarket travel insurance expert Alicia Hempsted said passengers affected by the disruption were unlikely to be entitled to compensation from their airline, if the air traffic control problem was considered outside the airline's control.

She said: “Under current rules, you are only entitled to compensation if your flight is delayed for more than 3 hours and if the airline was at fault.”

Ms Hempsted said a technical issue outside an airline's control would not normally meet that requirement.

She said: “It is still worth speaking with your airline representative, as some airlines may be able to provide vouchers for items such as food and drink at their discretion.”

She also advised passengers to check their travel insurance, particularly whether their policy included travel disruption cover.

Ms Hempsted said: “If your policy includes travel disruption cover, then it may be possible to claim for disruption or financial losses incurred as a result of your trip being delayed or cancelled.”

She warned that cover varies between insurers and policies, and advised passengers to keep receipts for additional expenses.

Ms Hempsted said: “Be sure to save all receipts for any costs incurred, as you may need these to make a claim.”

Passengers travelling from Gatwick on Wednesday are advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport.