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Hundreds of passengers diverted from Gatwick Airport Hundreds of passengers diverted from Gatwick Airport
(about 1 hour later)
More than 1,000 passengers expecting to arrive at London Gatwick have been diverted to other airports after flights were unable to land. More than 1,000 passengers expecting to arrive at London Gatwick have been diverted to other airports after flights were unable to land for a time.
Planned urgent maintenance on the main runway and poor visibility meant 24 flights due to land after 00:10 BST had to be re-directed to Stansted, Luton, Heathrow and Bristol airports. Planned urgent maintenance on the main runway and poor visibility saw 24 flights due after 00:10 BST re-directed to Stansted, Luton and Bristol.
Travellers affected are being put on coaches and driven back to Gatwick. Coaches were put on so passengers could be driven back to Gatwick.
The runway has reopened but Gatwick says there could be minor disruption. Three short-haul flights were cancelled but the runway has now reopened and Gatwick says there are no delays.
A second landing strip at Gatwick remained open while engineers were carrying out the work to the airport's main runway, but the weather conditions resulted in the short and medium-haul flights being diverted.A second landing strip at Gatwick remained open while engineers were carrying out the work to the airport's main runway, but the weather conditions resulted in the short and medium-haul flights being diverted.
A Gatwick spokesman said: "We had some planned runway maintenance works scheduled for last night which all flight operators were informed about and when we do that we have to use our second runway... A spokesperson for the airport said: "Gatwick is carrying out essential work during night hours to resurface and improve its main runway.
"We then suffered some fog which led to 24 aircraft being diverted." "During the night, the northern emergency runway is used for both take-off and landing. As this runway does not have an instrument landing system, pilots must land the aircraft manually by sight and they can only do this if weather conditions and visibility are clear."
Passengers on Easyjet, British Airways and Thomson flights were affected.Passengers on Easyjet, British Airways and Thomson flights were affected.
Three BA short-haul flights due to depart Gatwick in the morning have been cancelled because of the disruption.Three BA short-haul flights due to depart Gatwick in the morning have been cancelled because of the disruption.
Are you an air passenger who expected to land at Gatwick? How has the diversion affected your plans? Please tell us your story using the form below.Are you an air passenger who expected to land at Gatwick? How has the diversion affected your plans? Please tell us your story using the form below.