Flight Delays at Heathrow and Gatwick Due to Thunderstorms
Flights at London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports have experienced delays of up to six hours as a heatwave transitions into thunderstorms. Over 600 flights have been delayed at these two major airports on Saturday, with dozens of cancellations attributed largely to the stormy weather conditions. The UK's air traffic control service has indicated that delays are expected to persist throughout the day.
Passengers have expressed frustration on social media, including one who reported that her daughter was held on an Easyjet plane at Gatwick for four hours before the flight was cancelled.
Gatwick Airport informed that temporary air traffic control restrictions have been implemented, while Easyjet issued an apology for the disruptions.
According to flight tracking service FlightAware, 340 flights arriving at or departing from Heathrow have been delayed so far on Saturday, with 320 flights similarly affected at Gatwick.
Europe-wide aviation agency Eurocontrol reported that Heathrow and Gatwick are currently the only UK airports experiencing "heavy" delays linked to the thunderstorms.
Delay durations vary; for example, Gatwick's live departure board shows an Easyjet flight to Antalya delayed from 11:50 BST to 18:00. Other flights, including those operated by British Airways at Heathrow, have been delayed by up to four hours.
Eurocontrol data indicates the most severe air traffic control delays are occurring in airspace between south-east England and north-western Europe, where the storm clouds are concentrated. Flights on routes outside the storm-affected area continue to operate on schedule.
Passengers Grounded for Hours
NATS, the UK's air traffic control service, stated that "weather disruption was expected to continue through the rest of the day" following forecasts of severe weather across south-east England.
Gatwick confirmed that some flights have been delayed and cancelled on Saturday due to ongoing thunderstorms and the resulting temporary air traffic restrictions.
Heathrow Airport advised passengers to verify their flight status with airlines before traveling.
Passenger Adam Joseph, 29, told he was stranded at Venice airport in Italy without air conditioning because his flight to Gatwick had been delayed by over four hours. He was scheduled to depart Venice at 12:30 local time but reported that the plane had not yet left London on its outbound leg.
"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 [BA] whatsoever."
British Airways issued a statement acknowledging the disruption: "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." The airline apologized for the inconvenience and said it was working to restore normal operations, emphasizing that the vast majority of customers would not be affected.
Thunderstorms have impacted parts of the UK this week, including an event over Weymouth on Thursday.
Meanwhile, a woman posted on Easyjet's X account on Saturday morning: "My daughter has been sat on a plane at Gatwick for 4 hours and now you've cancelled the flight. She's on an Easyjet holiday. What should she do?"
Easyjet responded that, due to thunderstorms limiting the number of arrivals and departures, it had to "pre-emptively cancel some flights to and from Gatwick in advance." The airline stated it is making every effort to minimize the disruption's impact by notifying passengers in advance and offering options to rebook or receive refunds, as well as providing hotel accommodation and meals where necessary.
Parts of eastern and south-eastern England remain very hot this weekend, with a Met Office amber warning for extreme heat in effect until 09:00 BST on Sunday. However, isolated thunderstorms are also affecting parts of the UK. The thunderstorm south of the UK is forecast to intensify throughout Saturday afternoon.
