Gatwick Airport operations return to normalcy following air traffic control staff shortage

Gatwick Airport has stated that it is operating as usual after experiencing disruption to flights overnight due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. The airport has assured passengers that the air traffic control tower is now fully staffed. However, some passengers are still reporting minor delays and difficulties getting home after having their flights diverted. As of Thursday, Gatwick confirmed 22 cancellations, while FlightRadar24, a flight tracking website, reported that hundreds of flights at the airport were delayed. The National Air Traffic Services (Nats) apologized for the staffing shortage. This incident occurred just over two weeks after a technical issue at Nats resulted in 2,000 flight cancellations across the UK. EasyJet expressed frustration at the delays and cancellations, and Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, called for the resignation of Nats' boss. Passengers affected by the disruption shared their experiences, with one passenger recounting how her flight from Dalaman, Turkey, ended up diverted to Cardiff and causing a three-hour wait for onward transportation. Another passenger from Brighton described his return journey from Dublin as "pretty chaotic," with staff seeming unaware of the delays until passengers received notifications on their phones. Despite the disruption, some flights managed to depart after a delay of approximately 90 minutes. Travel expert Simon Calder informed his followers on X (formerly known as Twitter) that flights had returned to normal on Friday morning, albeit with some minor delays lingering. Passengers at the airport expressed that all flights were generally delayed by no more than an hour, and the atmosphere remained calm.