Gatwick Chaos: Over 100 Flights Axe Due to Air Traffic Staff Shortage
London Gatwick has plunged into chaos as more than 100 flights are cancelled thanks to a staffing crisis in the airport’s air traffic control tower. Roughly 15,000 passengers have been left stranded, while airlines face millions in losses.
EasyJet Worst Hit on Busy Summer Day
EasyJet, Gatwick’s main hub operator, bore the brunt of cancellations with at least 64 flights wiped off the schedule. Popular holiday routes to Heraklion, Crete, Naples, and Lisbon were among those grounded. British Airways, Vueling, Wizz Air, and others also felt the pinch amid the disruption.
Staff Shortages and Weather Spark Turmoil
A Nats spokesperson blamed “short-notice staff absence” in the control tower combined with tricky weather conditions across the UK and Europe. “We apologise sincerely for the inconvenience and are working closely with the airport and airlines to try and keep disruption to a minimum,” they said.
This is already the third major wobbly in just over a year at Gatwick caused by staffing woes, following cancellations earlier in 2023 and again in June 2024.
Traveller Rights and Airline Fallout
- Passengers hit by cancellations are being offered rebooking, refunds, and, where needed, hotel stays and meals.
- Under UK air passenger rights, those stranded must receive care including food, accommodation, and alternative flights on any airline with availability.
- British Airways also axed evening flights to Bordeaux and Jersey; Vueling cancelled 16 flights mostly to Spain.
- Norwegian dropped flights to Bergen, Copenhagen, and Stavanger, while Wizz Air cancelled flights to Vienna and Venice.
- Turkish Airlines cut evening flights to and from Istanbul.
EasyJet slammed the recurring disruption. “We are extremely disappointed that customers are once again being impacted by this… We are doing all possible to minimise the impact of the disruption,” said an EasyJet spokesperson.
With ongoing cancellations at Gatwick and Heathrow—the latter seeing at least 300 flights scrapped since Friday—UK air travel’s staffing crisis looks set to cause more headaches for passengers and airlines alike in the weeks ahead.
Travellers are urged to contact their airlines directly for the latest updates and rebooking options.
