Gatwick to investigate Christmas Eve chaos
Gatwick Airport has offered £100 shopping vouchers to passengers hit by disruption on Christmas Eve.
Thousands of passengers were stranded at the airport when flooding led to power cuts at its north terminal.
In total 62 flight departures and 59 arrivals were cancelled.
Some passengers waited at the airport for 12 hours before being told to go home because their flight was cancelled.
The airport said the high street vouchers were a "gesture of goodwill in recognition of the exceptionally difficult circumstances".
Chief executive Stewart Wingate said: "We appreciate that lots of our passengers were travelling to be with their families over the festive period and we are sorry that flights were cancelled and passengers left disappointed, particularly at this time of the year."
It said since the problems, a number of short term measures have been put in place to reduce the risk of such incidents happening again.
In addition a full review will be undertaken headed up by David McMillan, the former director general of Eurocontrol and a non-executive director of Gatwick Airport.
His report and recommendations will be published in February 2014.
The airport said the vouchers would be posted with 28 days and cover a range of stores including Marks and Spencer, John Lewis, Sainsbury’s and Currys.
Passengers whose flights were cancelled should email [email protected] with evidence of their booking on a flight due to depart from or arrive at Gatwick Airport on 24 December 2013 and with their postal address.
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.
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