Gatwick Airport flights cancelled: journeys limited this week amid staff shortages - full list of departures and arrivals affected today

Several flights due to arrive at Gatwick Airport today (Thursday 28 September) have been cancelled.

It comes after the airport’s CEO announced the “difficult decision” it would be limiting the number of journeys this week.

A daily 800-flight limit, affecting both departures and arrivals, has been imposed from Monday (25 September) and will run until Sunday (1 October) bringing more travel misery to holidaymakers.

London Gatwick’s chief executive Stewart Wingate described the move as “a difficult decision”, but said it was needed to create “reliable flight programmes” amid ongoing work with Nats (National Air Traffic Services) to “build resilience in the control tower”.

The move comes amid air traffic control staffing problems caused by sickness - 30% of air traffic services (Nats) tower staff are unavailable for a variety of medical reasons, including Covid.

The airport was slammed as a “f*****g embarrassment” on Monday (25 September) over its delays to a number of flights.

Matt Catlin posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, questioned how Gatwick Airport can “call itself an airport” after he had a “long delay getting home”.

Nats said it is “very sorry” that staff being off ill “will have an almost immediate impact” on the airport.

The company said it has been “very clear that we inherited a staff shortage when we took over the contract last autumn” and it is “working to return the team to full strength”.

Nats confirmed it is working to a plan agreed with the London airport to “deliver further resilience ahead of summer 2024”.

Stewart Wingate, CEO of London Gatwick, said: “This has been a difficult decision but the action we have taken today means our airlines can fly reliable flight programmes, which gives passengers more certainty that they will not face last minute cancellations.

“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.

He added: “London Gatwick would like to apologise to any passengers who have been impacted by these restrictions.”

Listed are the flights that are affected today.

Gatwick Airport - departures

• 12:25 American Airlines flight to Tampa - delayed 13:30
• 12:25 BA flight to Tampa - delayed 13:30
• 12:25 Iberia Airlines flight to Tampa - delayed 13:30
• 20:10 Ryanair flight to Dublin - delayed 20:35

Gatwick Airport - arrivals

• 07:35 easyJet flight from Basel - cancelled
• 10:35 Aurigny flight from Guernsey - cancelled
• 10:50 easyJet flight from Glasgow - cancelled
• 11:00 easyJet flight from Montpellier - cancelled
• 11:00 easyJet flight from Paris CdG - cancelled
• 11:15 BA flight from Amsterdam - cancelled
• 11:35 easyJet flight from Milan Bergamo - cancelled
• 14:10 BA flight from Malaga - cancelled
• 18:10 easyJet flight from Amsterdam - cancelled
• 18:35 easyJet flight from Barcelona - cancelled
• 19:15 Vueling flight from Santiago - cancelled
• 20:15 Vueling flight from Rome - cancelled