Gatwick resolves staff shortage that caused flight disruption
Gatwick Airport said today that a staff shortage that forced it to temporarily shut its runway on Sunday and Monday has been resolved.
Only one out of three air traffic controller turned up for their shift in the control tower, with the others reporting themselves off sick.
As a result, the runway was forced to close to allow the one controller to take mandatory one-hour breaks per shift, forcing two inbound flights to divert elsewhere and several others to be delayed. There were no planned departures at the time.
A Gatwick spokesman said the staffing issue had been resolved, adding: "We worked closely with air traffic controllers and airlines to minimise the impact to passengers. We apologise for the inconvenience caused."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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