Severe Weather Disrupts Flights at Heathrow and Gatwick
Passengers experienced significant delays and cancellations at Heathrow and Gatwick airports as thunderstorms swept across London, following consecutive days of temperatures exceeding 30C in the UK and much of Europe.
The overnight storms brought heavy rain and lightning, leading to severe travel disruptions. More than 600 flights scheduled to land or depart from Heathrow and Gatwick were delayed, some by over six hours, with dozens of flights cancelled. For example, a Gatwick flight to Antalya, originally scheduled to arrive in Turkey at 11:50am, was rescheduled to land at 6pm.
The UK’s air traffic control service, Nats, indicated that the disruption was expected to continue throughout the day due to forecasted severe weather conditions across south-east England.
Passenger Experiences and Flight Statistics
Many travellers shared their frustrations on social media. One passenger reported being stuck on a grounded plane at Heathrow from 7am until noon. Another mentioned their daughter had been seated on an easyJet plane at Gatwick for four hours.
Flight tracker FlightAware reported at least 367 flights to or from Heathrow and 352 flights at Gatwick were delayed on Saturday.
Some passengers endured uncomfortable conditions amid the heat. Twenty-nine-year-old Adam Joseph told he was stranded at Venice airport without air conditioning after his Gatwick-bound flight was delayed for at least four hours.
“We could’ve stayed at the hotel for another three to four hours,” Joseph said. “We are also being told that even in the event of a four-hour-plus delay, because of an air traffic control restriction, we will not be entitled to compensation.”
“I’ve had to give up my chair to a family with a pregnant mother.
“People are very angry … we have had no communication from [British Airways] whatsoever.”
Airline Responses
British Airways issued a statement addressing the situation:
“Like other airlines, we’ve had to make some adjustments to our schedule today due to air traffic control restrictions caused by adverse weather conditions affecting parts of UK airspace.
“While the vast majority of our customers will be unaffected, we apologise for the inconvenience caused and our teams are working hard to help those impacted get their journeys back on track.”
EasyJet also responded, noting that some flights to and from Gatwick were pre-emptively cancelled due to the thunderstorms.
“We are doing all possible to minimise the impact of the weather disruption for our customers and are notifying passengers in advance with their options to rebook or receive a refund as well as hotel accommodation and meals where required,” a spokesperson said.
Impact on Other Airports
Weather-related delays were not limited to Heathrow and Gatwick. Smaller airports including Leeds Bradford and Edinburgh also experienced disruptions on Saturday. Leeds Bradford had three delayed departures, while Edinburgh saw four delayed arrivals and 15 delayed departures.
London City Airport also faced disruption. A spokesperson stated:
“Flights are gradually returning to normal following this morning’s weather-related air traffic restrictions. There have been some associated delays and cancellations.”
