Chaos at London’s Gatwick airport after all flights suspended

Britain’s second-busiest airport, London’s Gatwick, suspended all flights on Wednesday due to an air traffic control system problem. The closure of Gatwick’s runway, caused by a problem related to the control tower, began at 5.08pm. All incoming flights were diverted to other airports.

The airport has re-opened at 7pm, after all flights were suspended for two hours “due to an air traffic control systems issue” however the airport warned travelers on Wednesday evening and Thursday to check the status of their flight.

A spokesman for the airport said: “As we move back into full operations, we are likely to see some delays and further cancelations this evening.

“We apologize to passengers who have been affected and are aiming to operate a full schedule of flights tomorrow.

“We continue to advise all passengers travelling tonight or tomorrow to check the status of their flight with their airline before traveling to the airport.”

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the airport said a total of 26 flights had been diverted and eight cancelled as of 7.30pm, but warned the number could change.