Thunderstorms cause 109 easyJet cancellations, affecting 15,000 Gatwick passengers
Disruptions at Gatwick Airport have affected thousands of easyJet passengers, as a series of thunderstorms led to the cancellation of 55 flights on Monday, following the grounding of 54 flights on Sunday. Approximately 15,000 passengers have been impacted by the cancellations. EasyJet emphasised that the safety and wellbeing of its customers and crew are the top priority and that efforts are being made to minimise any further disruptions.
Gatwick Airport has warned passengers of the possibility of more thunderstorms, urging them to contact their airlines for updates. The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms and rain across the UK, following a weekend of high temperatures reaching up to 32C.
An easyJet spokeswoman explained that the thunderstorms in the Gatwick area on Sunday led to restrictions on arrivals and departures, resulting in diversions and cancellations, which in turn affected Monday’s operations. The airline is offering passengers on cancelled flights options to rebook or receive a refund, as well as providing hotel accommodation and meals where necessary.
She added, “The safety and wellbeing of customers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority and, while this is outside of our control, we would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused.” Passengers affected by the disruptions are not eligible for compensation under UK consumer law, as the cause of the disruption is beyond the airline’s control.
A Gatwick Airport spokeswoman stated, “Due to unsettled weather conditions and thunderstorms across the south of England and Europe yesterday, temporary air traffic restrictions were put in place, which resulted in some flights being delayed and cancelled.” The airport apologised for any inconvenience caused to passengers.
In addition to the flight disruptions, Gatwick Express, which operates non-stop trains between the airport and central London, was suspended on Monday. The suspension was due to urgent track repairs after a set of points in the East Croydon area were damaged. Passengers travelling to or from the airport were advised to use Southern and Thameslink services, which have slower journey times as they stop at intermediate stations.
