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Gatwick Airport flights suspended over air traffic control issue Gatwick Airport flights suspended over air traffic control issue
(30 minutes later)
Flights at Gatwick Airport have been suspended due to what it says is an issue in its control tower. Flights at Gatwick Airport were suspended for about two hours due to what it says was an issue in its control tower.
The airport apologised and said it had experienced a problem with its air traffic control systems. A total of 25 flights were diverted to other UK airports when the problems began shortly after 17:00 BST.
In a statement Gatwick said it was working "to rectify this issue as quickly as possible". The airport said it had experienced a problem with its air traffic control systems.
"Passengers should check with their airline directly or on our website flights page for the latest information on their flight," the airport said. Passengers due to travel to or from the airport have been advised to check for updates with their airline.
European air safety organisation Eurocontrol said arrivals and departures would be unavailable until 21:00 BST due to a technical issue. Colin Franks, who was due to board an EasyJet flight to Palma, Spain, at 18:00 said he was "trapped between the boarding gate and the air bridge".
The suspension has been in place since 17:08 and Gatwick's website is showing some flights have been diverted to other airports. He said the plane's pilot had spoken to passengers, adding: "He said they had been given a provisional [take off] time of 10pm.
"At the moment, everybody is talking to one another and it's quite cheery. There is a lot of children here."
In December flights were suspended for 30 hours after drone sightings, causing chaos for 140,000 passengers.In December flights were suspended for 30 hours after drone sightings, causing chaos for 140,000 passengers.
In July a senior Sussex Police officer said that the airport was not prepared for an attack by more than one drone. A senior Sussex Police officer said the airport was not prepared for an attack by more than one drone.