Gatwick flights cancelled - latest: Calls for air traffic control chief to quit as Covid disruption continues
Ryanair has demanded the chief executive of air traffic control provider Nats “step down” over Covid-related staff shortages that have caused widespread disruption.
Staff sickness in the control tower meant the “flow rate” of flights using the world’s busiest runway was reduced. Fifty flights to and from Gatwick Airport were cancelled or diverted, while many other services were delayed by up to seven hours.
An estimated 8,000 passengers were left out of position, with eight flights grounded between Gatwick and Belfast – six to and from the Northern Ireland capital’s International airport, and two serving Belfast City.
“It is the most basic requirement to hire and train adequate staff numbers including standby coverage,” a statement from Ryanair read, adding that it pays Nats almost €100m (£87m) annually for air-traffic control services.
“It is clear that Nats CEO, Martin Rolfe, has taken no action to resolve these air-traffic control staff shortages and should now do the right thing and step down as Nats CEO so that someone competent can do the job. We call on the CAA to immediately intervene and protect passengers from this ongoing UK air-traffic control shambles.”
Have you been affected by cancellations? Email alexander.butler@independent.co.uk
Key Points
Up to 42 easyJet flights have been cancelled at Gatwick
Passenger ‘can’t believe’ lack of planning
Ryanair promises ‘no flight cancellations’ from Gatwick airport and calls on Nats boss to quit
Monday cancellations hit thousands of Gatwick passengers
Calls for air traffic control chief to quit as Covid disruption continues
Tuesday 26 September 2023 15:50 , Eleanor Noyce
Ryanair has demanded the chief executive of air traffic control provider Nats “step down” over Covid-related staff shortages that have caused widespread disruption.
“It is the most basic requirement to hire and train adequate staff numbers including standby coverage,” a statement from Ryanair read, adding that it pays Nats almost €100m (£87m) annually for air-traffic control services.
“Nats has been a shambles for years, causing unnecessary disruptions at UK airports including Bristol, Edinburgh and Manchester, and now Gatwick airport for the past four weeks, including the complete system meltdown on Monday 28 August, which brought UK aviation to its knees – a mess that has still not been explained.
“It is clear that Nats CEO, Martin Rolfe, has taken no action to resolve these air-traffic control staff shortages and should now do the right thing and step down as Nats CEO so that someone competent can do the job. We call on the CAA to immediately intervene and protect passengers from this ongoing UK air-traffic control shambles.”
In a statement, Nats said: “We have worked very closely with Gatwick airport throughout. Given the levels of sickness we have experienced over the last few weeks we believe it is the responsible thing to do to limit the number of flights this week in order to reduce the risk of daily disruption to passengers using the airport.
“We have trained as many air traffic controllers as possible this year in the Gatwick tower and have safely managed over 180,000 flights so far. However, with 30 per cent of tower staff unavailable for a variety of medical reasons including Covid, we cannot manage the number of flights that were originally planned for this week.”
Simon Calder says Gatwick Airport flight cancellations due to Covid causing staff shortages
05:00 , Eleanor Noyce
Gatwick flight cancellations to last all week as Covid causes staff shortages
04:00 , Eleanor Noyce
Gatwick Airport is forcing airlines to cancel dozens of flights for the rest of the week because of staff shortages in air-traffic control blamed on Covid.
The airport is imposing a daily cap on the number of flights until Sunday – a move that will see tens of thousands of passengers delayed, cancelled or diverted to other airports.
It is the third air-traffic control slowdown at the airport so far this month, with easyJet being the airline most affected.
Read more:
Gatwick flight chaos to last all week as Covid causes staff shortages
Why are so many air-traffic controllers off sick at Gatwick?
03:00 , Eleanor Noyce
Currently 30 per cent of air-traffic controllers who are qualified to work in the control tower at Gatwick are off sick, some with Covid. Many people have questioned why the absence rate is so high.
One reason: the extremely stringent conditions for an air-traffic controller to report for work. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says controllers must not be at work when “unfit to perform the duties due to injury, fatigue, sickness, stress, including critical incident stress or other similar causes” or when they are “under the influence of psychoactive substances”.
The term “psychoactive substances” includes some over-the-counter medicines that may be used to treat common ailments.
The CAA defines psychoactive substances as “alcohol, opioids, cannabinoids, sedatives and hypnotics, cocaine, other psychostimulants, hallucinogens and volatile solvents”. Caffeine and tobacco are specifically excluded.
“Alcohol impairs performance at any level and the impairment increases exponentially with the amount taken,” the CAA says.
“Many medicines, whether prescribed by a doctor or obtained ‘over the counter’ or by other means (e.g. over the internet) and illicit drugs also impair performance.”
What’s the problem at Gatwick Airport and which flights will be cancelled?
02:00 , Eleanor Noyce
In an unprecedented move, Gatwick Airport has ordered airlines to cancel dozens of flights because of sickness among air-traffic controllers – which is currently running at 30 per cent of the available staff.
Cancellations, diversions and delays have happened frequently this month due to staff shortage at Nats, which runs the control tower.
Aircraft movements will be capped at 800 per day at the Sussex airport, which normally has the busiest runway in the world.
Simon Calder reports:
What’s the problem at Gatwick Airport and which flights will be cancelled
What is Nats?
01:00 , Eleanor Noyce
Nats (National Air Traffic Services) provides en-route air traffic control services to flights, controlling the air traffic across a number of UK airports.
It was first created in 1962 to be used by the UK’s military and civil servants, but was restructured in 1992 to become a limited company. From then onwards, it was a subsidiary of the Civil Aviation Authority, which ended the direct involvement of military officers.
The Transport Act (2000) later brought Nats into public-private ownership, with 51 per cent of the company transferred to the private sector.
30 per cent of Gatwick NATS tower staff unavailable for ‘variety of medical reasons’
Wednesday 27 September 2023 00:01 , Eleanor Noyce
30 per cent of NATS tower staff at Gatwick are currently unavailable for a “variety of medical reasons” including Covid, the airport has said.
On Monday, Gatwick limited flights to 800 per day until Sunday 1 October in an effort to prevent last-minute cancellations and delays “whilst NATS work through challenges driven by sickness and staffing constraints.”
Before the cap was put in place, the movements anticipated for the week were as follows:
Tuesday - 800
Wednesday - 829
Thursday - 840
Friday - 865
Saturday - 800
Sunday - 830.
“This has been a difficult decision but the action we have taken means our airlines can fly reliable flight programmes, which gives passengers more certainty that they will not face last-minute cancellations”, Stewart Wingate, CEO of London Gatwick, said.
“We are working closely with NATS to build resilience in the control tower, and this decision means we can prevent as much disruptions as possible.
“London Gatwick would like to apologise to any passengers who have been impacted by these restrictions.”
‘We have worked very closely with Gatwick Airport throughout’ - Nats
Tuesday 26 September 2023 23:00 , Eleanor Noyce
Nats has maintained that the organisation has worked “very closely” with Gatwick Airport throughout the disruption to flights caused by staff sickness.
“We have worked very closely with Gatwick airport throughout”, a spokesperson for Nats said.
“Given the levels of sickness we have experienced over the last few weeks we believe it is the responsible thing to do to limit the number of flights this week in order to reduce the risk of daily disruption to passengers using the airport.
“We have trained as many air traffic controllers as possible this year in the Gatwick tower and have safely managed over 180,000 flights so far.
“However, with 30% of tower staff unavailable for a variety of medical reasons including Covid, we cannot manage the number of flights that were originally planned for this week.
Nats previously said it is “working in line” with a staffing plan agreed with Gatwick bosses when it took over the provision of ATC services at the airport in October 2022, which includes training further controllers.
Over two-thirds of Brits have experienced delayed or cancelled flight
Tuesday 26 September 2023 22:00 , Eleanor Noyce
Over two-thirds of Brits have experienced a delayed flight or cancellation over the last year, data shows.
The research, by travel industry group IBS Software, also shows more than half of those affected were never told why their flights were affected.
ICYMI: Airport chaos as hundreds of holidaymakers queue for hours after e-gates close
Tuesday 26 September 2023 20:53 , Eleanor Noyce
Last week, hundreds of holidaymakers were forced to queue for hours as e-gate passport control gates stopped working in airports across the country.
Families with children and elderly passengers faced lengthy wait times overnight, with reportedly limited staff on shift at Gatwick and Luton to assist with the situation.
Several customers took to social media to express their outrage, with one user writing that it was a “shambles”.
Holly Evans reports:
Airport chaos as hundreds of holidaymakers queue for hours after e-gates close
Passenger ‘can’t believe’ lack of planning
Tuesday 26 September 2023 20:24 , Eleanor Noyce
Daniel Wilkes, a consultant psychiatrist from Angus, was booked on the 7.15pm flight from Gatwick to Edinburgh last night. It was cancelled at 8.40pm.
He told The Independent: “I just can’t believe the lack of contingency planning from Nats for staff sickness and that this is happening again.
“Plus, airports and airlines have had quite a while to firm up their processes for cancellations, and yet always the poorly managed scrum ensues. Bizarrely, we were made to exit through border control. I didn’t even have my passport as it was a domestic flight.”
Why is Gatwick still having air traffic control problems?
Tuesday 26 September 2023 19:31 , Eleanor Noyce
Simon Calder answers your questions on minimum pricing for flights, unheard-of airlines with no entertainment, and being stranded at the airport late at night.
Read more:
Why is Gatwick still having air traffic control problems?
ICYMI: Covid flight cancellations are back as thousands grounded after virus hits Gatwick air-traffic controllers
Tuesday 26 September 2023 19:00 , Eleanor Noyce
An outbreak of Covid has been blamed for the third air-traffic control slowdown at London Gatwick so far this month.
Staff sickness in the control tower meant the “flow rate” of flights using the world’s busiest runway was reduced.
Fifty flights to and from the Sussex airport were cancelled or diverted, while many other services were delayed by up to seven hours.
Simon Calder has more:
Covid flight cancellations return after virus hits Gatwick air-traffic controllers
What is Nats?
Tuesday 26 September 2023 18:30 , Eleanor Noyce
Nats (National Air Traffic Services) provides en-route air traffic control services to flights, controlling the air traffic across a number of UK airports.
It was first created in 1962 to be used by the UK’s military and civil servants, but was restructured in 1992 to become a limited company. From then onwards, it was a subsidiary of the Civil Aviation Authority, which ended the direct involvement of military officers.
The Transport Act (2000) later brought Nats into public-private ownership, with 51 per cent of the company transferred to the private sector.
Ryanair urges Nats boss to quit over Gatwick ‘mess’ – but promises no cancellations
Tuesday 26 September 2023 18:00 , Eleanor Noyce
Ryanair says it won’t cancel any flights despite a cap on arrivals and departures at Gatwick airport, and has demanded the chief executive of air traffic control provider Nats “step down” over staff shortages.
Europe’s biggest budget carrier has a relatively small presence at the Sussex airport, with no aircraft based there. The main operation is between Gatwick and Dublin.
In an angry statement, Ryanair said it pays Nats almost €100m (£87m) annually for air-traffic control services.
Simon Calder reports:
Ryanair demands air traffic control chief quit over Gatwick ‘mess’
‘We have worked very closely with Gatwick Airport throughout’ - Nats
Tuesday 26 September 2023 17:25 , Eleanor Noyce
Nats has maintained that the organisation has worked “very closely” with Gatwick Airport throughout the disruption to flights caused by staff sickness.
“We have worked very closely with Gatwick airport throughout”, a spokesperson for Nats said.
“Given the levels of sickness we have experienced over the last few weeks we believe it is the responsible thing to do to limit the number of flights this week in order to reduce the risk of daily disruption to passengers using the airport.
“We have trained as many air traffic controllers as possible this year in the Gatwick tower and have safely managed over 180,000 flights so far.
“However, with 30% of tower staff unavailable for a variety of medical reasons including Covid, we cannot manage the number of flights that were originally planned for this week.
Nats previously said it is “working in line” with a staffing plan agreed with Gatwick bosses when it took over the provision of ATC services at the airport in October 2022, which includes training further controllers.
Nats has ‘repeatedly let down customers all summer’, said easyJet chief earlier this month
Tuesday 26 September 2023 16:54 , Eleanor Noyce
Earlier this month, easyJet’s CEO accused National Air Traffic Services (Nats) of letting “down customers all summer.”
Forty-two flights at Gatwick were cancelled or diverted on 15 September and many more were delayed the same evening due to a staffing shortage in the control tower at the West Sussex airport.
There was a similar incident on 6 September, and a Nats technical glitch on 28 August caused widespread disruption at airports across the UK.
At the time, easyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said: “Persistent staff shortages at Nats have plagued the industry and repeatedly let down customers all summer, having caused more than a month’s worth of disruption.
“This cannot be allowed to continue.
“Immediate action must be taken to fix the staffing shortages now while a more wide-ranging review examines broader issues to ensure Nats delivers robust services to passengers now and in the future.”
What’s the problem at Gatwick Airport and which flights will be cancelled?
Tuesday 26 September 2023 16:15 , Eleanor Noyce
In an unprecedented move, Gatwick Airport has ordered airlines to cancel dozens of flights because of sickness among air-traffic controllers – which is currently running at 30 per cent of the available staff.
Cancellations, diversions and delays have happened frequently this month due to staff shortage at Nats, which runs the control tower.
Aircraft movements will be capped at 800 per day at the Sussex airport, which normally has the busiest runway in the world.
Gatwick Airport says: “The daily cap will prevent last-minute cancellations and delays for passengers while Nats work through challenges driven by sickness and staffing constraints.
As the biggest airline at Gatwick, easyJet will bear the brunt of the cancellations. British Airways, Ryanair, Tui, Vueling and Wizz Air are expected to be among other carriers whose schedules will be affected.
More here:
What’s the problem at Gatwick Airport and which flights will be cancelled
30 per cent of Gatwick NATS tower staff unavailable for ‘variety of medical reasons’ including Covid
Tuesday 26 September 2023 15:42 , Eleanor Noyce
30 per cent of NATS tower staff at Gatwick are currently unavailable for a “variety of medical reasons” including Covid, the airport has said.
On Monday, Gatwick limited flights to 800 per day until Sunday 1 October in an effort to prevent last-minute cancellations and delays “whilst NATS work through challenges driven by sickness and staffing constraints.”
Before the cap was put in place, the movements anticipated for the week were as follows:
Tuesday - 800
Wednesday - 829
Thursday - 840
Friday - 865
Saturday - 800
Sunday - 830.
“This has been a difficult decision but the action we have taken means our airlines can fly reliable flight programmes, which gives passengers more certainty that they will not face last minute cancellations”, Stewart Wingate, CEO of London Gatwick, said.
“We are working closely with NATS to build resilience in the control tower, and this decision means we can prevent as much disruptions as possible.
“London Gatwick would like to apologise to any passengers who have been impacted by these restrictions.”
Passenger ‘can’t believe’ lack of planning
Tuesday 26 September 2023 15:22 , Eleanor Noyce
Daniel Wilkes, a consultant psychiatrist from Angus, was booked on the 7.15pm flight from Gatwick to Edinburgh last night. It was cancelled at 8.40pm.
He told The Independent: “I just can’t believe the lack of contingency planning from Nats for staff sickness and that this is happening again.
“Plus, airports and airlines have had quite a while to firm up their processes for cancellations, and yet always the poorly managed scrum ensues. Bizarrely, we were made to exit through border control. I didn’t even have my passport as it was a domestic flight.”
easyJet apologises for disruption to Gatwick Airport flights
Tuesday 26 September 2023 14:55 , Eleanor Noyce
EasyJet has apologised for the disruption to flights at Gatwick Airport despite the issue being “outside of our control.”
It has urged that it will contact customers whose flight is cancelled, advising them not to travel to the airport but to transfer their flights free of charge.
“We have been advised that Gatwick Airport are temporarily requiring all airlines to reduce the number of flights they operate due to a shortage of staff in the NATS air traffic control tower”, a statement posted on the easyJet website read.
“We expect that there may be delays and some disruption due to the staff shortages, therefore we advise all customers to check the status of their flight on our Flight Tracker.
“While this is outside of our control we are sorry for the inconvenience caused. We understand this situation is extremely frustrating. We have made it clear to NATS, the airport’s air traffic control provider, that the ongoing staff shortages are completely unacceptable and must be urgently tackled and fixed. In the meantime, we will do everything we can to support customers whose plans have been affected.”
Gatwick flight cancellations to last all week as Covid causes staff shortages
Tuesday 26 September 2023 14:41 , Eleanor Noyce
Gatwick Airport is forcing airlines to cancel dozens of flights for the rest of the week because of staff shortages in air-traffic control blamed on Covid.
The airport is imposing a daily cap on the number of flights until Sunday – a move that will see tens of thousands of passengers delayed, cancelled or diverted to other airports.
It is the third air-traffic control slowdown at the airport so far this month, with easyJet being the airline most affected.
More here:
Gatwick flight chaos to last all week as Covid causes staff shortages
What’s the problem at Gatwick Airport and which flights will be cancelled?
Tuesday 26 September 2023 14:25 , Eleanor Noyce
In an unprecedented move, Gatwick Airport has ordered airlines to cancel dozens of flights because of sickness among air-traffic controllers – which is currently running at 30 per cent of the available staff.
Cancellations, diversions and delays have happened frequently this month due to staff shortage at Nats, which runs the control tower.
Aircraft movements will be capped at 800 per day at the Sussex airport, which normally has the busiest runway in the world.
Simon Calder explains:
What’s the problem at Gatwick Airport and which flights will be cancelled
Ryanair promises ‘no flight cancellations’ from Gatwick airport and calls on Nats boss to quit
Tuesday 26 September 2023 14:05 , Eleanor Noyce
Europe’s biggest budget airline, Ryanair, has said it will not cancel any flights as a result of the cap on numbers of arrivals and departures at Gatwick airport.
The carrier has a relatively small presence at the Sussex airport, with no aircraft based there. The main operation is between Gatwick and Dublin.
In an angry statement, Ryanair said it pays the air-navigation provider, Nats, almost €100m (£87m) annually for air-traffic control services.
A spokesperson for Ryanair said: “It is the most basic requirement to hire and train adequate staff numbers including standby coverage.
Simon Calder reports:
Ryanair pledges ‘no flight cancellations’ from Gatwick and calls on Nats boss to quit
Simon Calder says Gatwick Airport flight cancellations due to Covid causing staff shortages
Tuesday 26 September 2023 13:45 , Alexander Butler
Ryanair promises ‘no cancellations’ from Gatwick
Tuesday 26 September 2023 13:30 , Alexander Butler
Europe’s biggest budget airline, Ryanair, has said it will not cancel any flights as a result of the cap on numbers of arrivals and departures at Gatwick airport.
The carrier has a relatively small presence at the Sussex airport, with no aircraft based there. The main operation is between Gatwick and Dublin.
In an angry statement, Ryanair said it pays the air-navigation provider, Nats, almost €100m (£87m) annually for air-traffic control services.
A spokesperson for Ryanair said: “It is the most basic requirement to hire and train adequate staff numbers including standby coverage. Nats has been a shambles for years, causing unnecessary disruptions at UK airports including Bristol, Edinburgh and Manchester, and now Gatwick airport for the past four weeks including the complete system meltdown on Monday 28 August, which brought UK aviation to its knees – a mess that has still not been explained.
“It is clear that Natc CEO, Martin Rolfe has taken no action to resolve these air-traffic control staff shortages and should now do the right thing and step down as Nats CEO so that someone competent can do the job. We call on the CAA to immediately intervene and protect passengers from this ongoing UK air-traffic control shambles.”
Thirty per cent of Gatwick air traffic controllers off sick
Tuesday 26 September 2023 13:15 , Simon Calder
Currently 30 per cent of air-traffic controllers who are qualified to work in the control tower at Gatwick are off sick, some with Covid, reports suggest.
Over two-thirds of Brits have experienced delayed or cancelled flight
Tuesday 26 September 2023 12:16 , Alexander Butler
Over two-thirds of Brits have experienced a delayed flight or cancellation over the last year, data shows.
The research, by travel industry group IBS Software, also shows more than half of those affected were never told why their flights were affected.
Why are so many air-traffic controllers off sick at Gatwick?
Tuesday 26 September 2023 11:55 , Alexander Butler
Currently 30 per cent of air-traffic controllers who are qualified to work in the control tower at Gatwick are off sick, some with Covid. Many people have questioned why the absence rate is so high.
One reason: the extremely stringent conditions for an air-traffic controller to report for work. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says controllers must not be at work when “unfit to perform the duties due to injury, fatigue, sickness, stress, including critical incident stress or other similar causes” or when they are “under the influence of psychoactive substances”.
The term “psychoactive substances” includes some over-the-counter medicines that may be used to treat common ailments.
The CAA defines psychoactive substances as “alcohol, opioids, cannabinoids, sedatives and hypnotics, cocaine, other psychostimulants, hallucinogens and volatile solvents”. Caffeine and tobacco are specifically excluded.
“Alcohol impairs performance at any level and the impairment increases exponentially with the amount taken,” the CAA says.
“Many medicines, whether prescribed by a doctor or obtained ‘over the counter’ or by other means (e.g. over the internet) and illicit drugs also impair performance.
“In the short term (minutes to hours) judgement and decision-making will be affected, there will be an increase in errors and risk-taking behaviour, mood changes, poor co-ordination, tracking and concentration and slow reaction times.
“Some effects can persist for several days, particularly poor balance and slow cognition.”
Simon Calder discusses Gatwick delays and cancellations
Tuesday 26 September 2023 11:40 , Alexander Butler
In his daily podcast for The Independent, travel correspondent Simon Calder discusses the unprecedented cap on the number of flights at Gatwick airport due to staff sickness among air-traffic staff in the control tower.
‘No issues’ at London Luton airport
Tuesday 26 September 2023 11:25 , Alexander Butler
There are “no issues” at London Luton, according to the airport.
Monday cancellations hit thousands of Gatwick passengers
Tuesday 26 September 2023 11:10 , Simon Calder
Thousands of travellers have woken up where they did not intend to be after dozens more cancellations on Monday of flights using London Gatwick airport.
Passengers with easyJet were hardest hit, with 80 cancellations. Multiple flights to and from Amsterdam, Geneva and Venice were grounded, as well as domestic links with Belfast, Inverness and Edinburgh.
Vueling cancelled a round trip between Florence and Gatwick, while a British Airways round-trip to Nice was grounded.
Under European air passengers’ rights rules, passengers are entitled to alternative flights as soon as possible, as well as hotels and meals as necessary until they reach their destination.
‘No issues’ affecting London Stansted
Tuesday 26 September 2023 10:55 , Alexander Butler
There are ‘no issues’ affecting flight operations at London Stansted, the airport said.
Heathrow ‘operating as normal'
Tuesday 26 September 2023 10:38 , Alexander Butler
London Heathrow is “operating as normal”, the airport said.
Passenger ‘can’t believe’ lack of planning
Tuesday 26 September 2023 10:14 , Simon Calder
Daniel Wilkes, a consultant psychiatrist from Angus, was booked on the 7.15pm flight from Gatwick to Edinburgh last night. It was cancelled at 8.40pm.
He told The Independent: “I just can’t believe the lack of contingency planning from Nats for staff sickness and that this is happening again.
“Plus, airports and airlines have had quite a while to firm up their processes for cancellations, and yet always the poorly managed scrum ensues. Bizarrely, we were made to exit through border control. I didn’t even have my passport as it was a domestic flight.”
Up to 42 easyJet flights have been cancelled at Gatwick
Tuesday 26 September 2023 09:41 , Alexander Butler
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live blog. Last night, an outbreak of Covid was blamed for the third air-traffic control slowdown at London Gatwick this month.
It has led to 42 easyJet flight cancellations as staff sickness in the control tower meant the “flow rate” of flights using the world’s busiest runway was reduced.
We will be bringing you live updates as this story develops.
Over two-thirds of Brits have experienced delayed or cancelled flight
Tuesday 26 September 2023 20:35 , Eleanor Noyce
Over two-thirds of Brits have experienced a delayed flight or cancellation over the last year, data shows.
The research, by travel industry group IBS Software, also shows more than half of those affected were never told why their flights were affected.
