Gatwick drone sightings spark security alert and chaos for thousands as all flights from airport are grounded

Thousands of plane passengers are facing major disruption after all flights were grounded at Gatwick Airport as two drones were spotted flying over the airfield.

Frustrated customers complained of being held on the runway for hours after planes came to a grinding halt at the airport following the security alert on Wednesday.

Gatwick warned passengers the chaos was likely to enter a second day and asked anyone planning on travelling to or from the airport to check their flight’s status.

Sussex Police confirmed officers were at the scene and responding to reports of a drone sighting at the airport. A police helicopter was reportedly searching for the drones.

Furious passengers described how they had been stuck on the tarmac for as long as two hours amid the mayhem. Others said their flights had been diverted to other airports while Gatwick remained closed off.

Frustrated passengers wait on a plane at Gatwick Airport amid the security alert
Twitter/John Belo

Richard Asquith was travelling from Glasgow on a plane which circled around Gatwick for 20 minutes before it had to divert to Stansted because it was running out of fuel.

However, Mr Asquith said “too many planes had rerouted” to Stansted amid the disruption at Gatwick so the plane was forced to touch down at Heathrow Airport instead.

Flight Alerts on Twitter suggested at around 9.45pm that all inboard aircraft to Gatwick are currently holding and no flights are departing. "Police helicopter is searching the area around London Gatwick Airport," it added.

John Belo, another passenger affected by the disruption, told the Standard: “Around 30 minutes ago the captain said the runway was closed for both departures and landings but didn't know why.

“A few minutes ago he updated us saying that there were reports of a drone flying around airport space and due to security reasons they were investigating and blocking all flights for now.”

“Still no idea when it will be back operating,” he added.

One frustrated pilot took to Instagram to vent his outrage, saying: “Someone was flying drones inside the airport zone. Airport closed to all operations.

“All of us, passengers and crew inside the airplane for more than two hours and delay undetermined.”

Sussex Police confirmed officers were responding to reports of a drone flying over the airport.

Gatwick said since the initial reports of two drones flying over the airfield there has been several more. It apologised to customers for the severe delays.

In statement, it added that airlines are working to provide affected customers with hotel accommodation.

“Following reports of two drones flying over the Gatwick Airport airfield, at 9.03pm and multiple reports of sightings since, we have had to suspend flights while we investigate this alongside Sussex Police.

“We will update when we have suitable reassurance that it is appropriate to re-open the runway.

“We advise everyone flying from Gatwick, or collecting someone from the airport, Wednesday 19th December or Thursday 20th December, to check the status of their flight."

It added: “We apologise to any affected passengers for this inconvenience but the safety of our passengers and all staff is our foremost priority.”

Any major problem at Gatwick causes a ripple effect throughout Britain and continental Europe, particularly during a holiday period when the air traffic control system is under strain.

It is a busy airport 27 miles (43 kilometres) south of London, hosting a variety of short- and long-haul flights and serving as a major hub for the budget carrier easyJet.

Gatwick normally operates throughout the night but the number of flights is restricted because of noise limitations. The airport website said it usually handles 18 to 20 flights overnight during the winter months.

There have been occasional reports of drones nearly hitting commercial airliners in the London area in recent years. Strong sales of small consumer drones have led to repeated warnings about a possible threat to scheduled flights.

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