London’s Gatwick Airport Shut Down by Drone Flights, Stranding Thousands of Travelers

Aircraft at London Gatwick

London’s Gatwick Airport remains closed after drones were spotted flying over airport grounds including for a brief time its runway.

Terming it a “flight disruption,” the airport said on its website that “Gatwick’s runway remains unavailable because of continued drone sightings.”

Officials at the airport termed it “a deliberate attempt to disrupt flights” and said that the flight disruptions would continue on Friday.

The airport is the second busiest in the United Kingdom and the eighth busiest in Europe. The move comes as tens of thousands of travelers are preparing to start their holiday trips. The airport serves more than 100,000 passengers a day.

Hundreds of flights were grounded while many incoming flights were diverted to other airports.

Meanwhile, passengers were being asked not to proceed to the airport.

“If you are due to fly later today, please do not travel to Gatwick without checking the status of your flight with your airline,” the airport said.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)