Gatwick trims flights amid congestion.
The airport aims to allocate 164 cancellations among airlines to prevent diversions until Sunday. This week, Gatwick faces staffing shortages in air traffic control, leading to flight disruptions. To manage the situation, Gatwick has set a daily limit of 800 flights from Monday onwards. The plan is to distribute the 164 cancellations proportionally among airlines until Sunday, with easyJet passengers potentially experiencing the most impact. Friday, with 865 scheduled departures, poses the highest risk of disruption. Announcements regarding reductions are expected on Tuesday.
Gatwick’s move intends to minimize last-minute disruptions and allow proactive passenger rebooking. Recent weeks witnessed various flight issues due to unexpected staff absences in air traffic control, affecting over 40 flights. Approximately 30% of Nats employees at Gatwick are either ill or unable to fulfill their duties. Gatwick’s CEO, Stewart Wingate, highlighted the necessity of the decision, aiming to reassure airlines and passengers.
Nats mentioned, “Limiting flights this week is a responsible step to reduce daily disruptions for passengers due to high illness rates.” They emphasized efforts to train new staff but noted the challenge of qualifying controllers due to Gatwick’s traffic volume and complexity.
easyJet’s CEO, Johan Lundgren, supported Gatwick’s decision to avoid last-minute disruptions. Gatwick and Nats need a comprehensive strategy for long-term air traffic control reliability. Following recent disruptions, Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, called for Nats’ CEO to resign, criticizing staff inadequacy.
Wingate didn’t support the demand but urged Nats’ CEO to minimize disruptions and enhance resilience. He emphasized fulfilling commitments made during contract awards for the benefit of airlines and passengers.
Last summer, Heathrow faced challenges post-pandemic, implementing a daily passenger limit of 100,000. This led to queue times, staff shortages, and numerous cancellations. The limit lasted from July to October as they recruited and trained additional staff.
