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Gatwick Airport Christmas Eve chaos a 'wake-up call' | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The chaos at Gatwick Airport on Christmas Eve should be "a wake-up call for airports across the UK", a report by MPs has said. | |
More than 11,000 passengers at the West Sussex airport were affected by delays and cancellations on 24 December. | More than 11,000 passengers at the West Sussex airport were affected by delays and cancellations on 24 December. |
After flooding caused a power failure, there was "confusion" and a "lack of information" at the airport, the House of Commons Transport Committee said. | |
Its report also highlighted a lack of toilets and drinking water. | Its report also highlighted a lack of toilets and drinking water. |
There was also a "lack of clarity about who was in charge" and confusion about what passengers could be reimbursed for. | There was also a "lack of clarity about who was in charge" and confusion about what passengers could be reimbursed for. |
Gatwick Airport said it "fully accepted" the report's recommendations and has set aside a £30m resilience fund. | |
'Passengers in the dark' | 'Passengers in the dark' |
The committee's report said: "The problems at Gatwick at Christmas Eve should be a wake-up call for airports across the UK to get on top of operational resilience issues." | The committee's report said: "The problems at Gatwick at Christmas Eve should be a wake-up call for airports across the UK to get on top of operational resilience issues." |
The committee said airport operators should have "well-drilled plans... which put passenger interests first". | |
It recommended the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) bring forward plans to improve the provision of information for passengers about their rights during times of disruption. | |
Committee chairman Louise Ellman said: "Passengers need accurate and consistent information, must be able to identify who is in charge during periods of disruption, and should have ready access to toilets and drinking water. | |
"Passengers must also be promptly reimbursed for the extra costs they face as a consequence of disruption. | "Passengers must also be promptly reimbursed for the extra costs they face as a consequence of disruption. |
"If our largest airports cannot demonstrate they can look after passengers' interests in this way then the CAA must act." | |
Labour's shadow aviation minister Gordon Marsden said: "Despite the efforts of individual staff, management failures left passengers in the dark over the fate of their flights and compensation. | |
"The government must be far more proactive in improving passenger experience." | "The government must be far more proactive in improving passenger experience." |
An earlier review by the airport of the Christmas Eve disruption called for a passenger champion to be made available at each of its terminals to focus on travellers' welfare. | |
The committee suggested similar arrangements should be put in place at other major UK airports. | The committee suggested similar arrangements should be put in place at other major UK airports. |
A spokeswoman for Gatwick Airport said: "Following the events of Christmas Eve, Gatwick set aside a £30m resilience fund and immediately began projects to strengthen flood defences. | |
"In partnership with its airlines, extensive work has already been undertaken to improve contingency plans and passenger welfare in times of disruption." | |
A spokesman for the CAA said: "Both Gatwick and Heathrow are required to have their contingency plans in place by October and, once published, we will regularly review them - taking action where necessary if we feel the plans are not sufficient to protect passengers during disruption." | |
A Department for Transport spokeswoman added: "Other airports should also learn lessons from this report." |