French flights hit by last-minute Gatwick disruption
Chaos from unexpected staff shortage impacts flights to Paris, Bordeaux, and Marseille as well as dozens of cities worldwide
The disruptions particularly affected EasyJet, which has a large presence at the London airport; as well as British Airways
rzoze19 / Shutterstock
Several flights between London Gatwick and France were cancelled on Sunday and Monday morning (September 9) after an unexpected shortage of air traffic control staff caused disruption to around 40,000 travellers.
EasyJet flights between Gatwick and Paris were among the over 100 flights cancelled on Sunday, as were British Airways flights between the airport and Bordeaux.
This morning, British Airways flights between Gatwick and Marseille have been cancelled in both directions as disruptions continue, as well as flights to several European and global destinations with the airline.
The majority of flights are now running as scheduled, however some journeys throughout the day may still be affected.
It is recommended you check the status of your journey with your airline if you are scheduled to fly today.
Read more: New French firm can claim delayed flight compensation for you
Staff shortage responsible for chaos
“These restrictions are due to short-notice staff absence at the air traffic control tower and in addition to existing restrictions already in place due to adverse weather across UK and Europe,” said Nats, the company that provides air traffic controllers to the airport on Sunday.
“We apologise sincerely for the inconvenience and are working closely with the airport and airlines to try and keep disruption to a minimum,” it added.
Up to 40,000 passengers were affected over the weekend, with similar disruptions having hit the airport several times in the past, most recently in June 2024.
Michael O’Leary, Head of low-cost carrier Ryanair – which also saw some flights disrupted – said the head of Nats should resign due to the repeated issues “and allow someone competent to run an efficient UK ATC [air traffic control] service, which airlines and passengers are entitled to expect… passengers deserve better.”
