Thunderstorms have caused severe delays and cancellations at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, affecting hundreds of flights and leaving passengers stuck on grounded planes for hours in sweltering conditions. The disruption, which began overnight, is expected to continue throughout the day due to forecasted severe weather across south-east England, according to Nats, the UK's air traffic control service.
Flight Delays and Cancellations
More than 600 flights to or from Heathrow and Gatwick were delayed, some for over six hours, while dozens more were cancelled. Flight tracker FlightAware reported at least 367 delays at Heathrow and 352 at Gatwick on Saturday. One Gatwick to Antalya flight, scheduled to land in Turkey at 11:50am, is now due at 6pm.
Passenger Experiences
Travellers expressed frustration on social media. One passenger reported being stuck on a British Airways plane at Heathrow from 7am until noon. Another said their daughter had been on an easyJet plane at Gatwick for four hours. Adam Joseph, 29, stranded at Venice airport without air conditioning after his Gatwick-bound flight was delayed by at least four hours, told BBC News: "We could've stayed at the hotel for another three to four hours. We are also being told that even in the event of a four-hour-plus delay, because of an air traffic control restriction, we will not be entitled to compensation." He added: "I've had to give up my chair to a family with a pregnant mother. People are very angry … we have had no communication from [British Airways] whatsoever."
Airlines Respond
British Airways stated: "Like other airlines, we've had to make some adjustments to our schedule today due to air traffic control restrictions caused by adverse weather conditions affecting parts of UK airspace. While the vast majority of our customers will be unaffected, we apologise for the inconvenience caused and our teams are working hard to help those impacted get their journeys back on track." EasyJet said it had to "pre-emptively cancel some flights to and from Gatwick in advance" over the thunderstorms. A spokesperson said: "We are doing all possible to minimise the impact of the weather disruption for our customers and are notifying passengers in advance with their options to rebook or receive a refund as well as hotel accommodation and meals where required."
Wider Impact
Delays also hit smaller airports, including Leeds Bradford and Edinburgh, with three departures delayed at the former and four arrivals and 15 departures delayed at the latter due to weather. London City Airport also experienced disruption, with a spokesperson noting: "Flights are gradually returning to normal following this morning's weather-related air traffic restrictions. There have been some associated delays and cancellations."
