Gatwick drafts in extra staff to avoid repeat of baggage chaos
Gatwick is drafting in extra staff this weekend to make sure there isn’t a repeat of last weekend’s baggage chaos.
The London airport said 60 of its own staff will be on hand to help ensure bags are delivered on time after problems with one of its contractors, Swissport.
"We’re helping Swissport with the transport and unloading of bags," it said on Twitter.
"Free home delivery is also in place for passengers who are impacted."
Last weekend, some passengers were forced to fly without their bags and arriving passenger had to wait hours for their luggage.
Gatwick said the baggage handling company, Swissport, had failed to meet service levels.
It said although bags are being delivered on time by Swissport 95% of the time, this was ‘not good enough’.
It said its own extra staff would not be allowed to actually help unload the aircraft but would be able to help transport bags to the terminal and unload them on to the luggage belts.
Monarch has reportedly ended contracts with Swissport at Gatwick and Manchester airports following the problems last weekend, when some passengers had to wait up to three hours for their bags.
The airline refused to confirm the reports, but said: "We continue to work with London Gatwick Airport and our ground handing supplier to ensure that our customers receive the level of service they expect from Monarch."
Swissport blamed the delays on too many aircraft arriving in quick succession, referring to these flights as ‘off-schedule arrivals’.
"We are not aware of any issues that may impact our ability to continue to deliver the improved levels of service this coming weekend," it said in an apology yesterday.
The contractor said it has ‘ramped’ up teams by over 40 staff to cope with this busy weekend.
"The summer peak season continues to put pressure on all baggage handling companies," it added.
"Swissport is disappointed that we have failed to achieve our expected standards of service delivery during this peak period. We will do everything possible to ensure the travelling public are not inconvenienced and we remain committed to work with our partner airlines and London Gatwick Airport to provide a quality service."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026