Passengers at Gatwick Airport faced significant disruptions on Sunday due to thick fog, which impacted one of the airport’s busiest days of the holiday season.
The UK’s primary air traffic control provider, Nats, implemented temporary air restrictions throughout the day due to low visibility at affected airfields. EasyJet, one of Gatwick’s largest airline operators, confirmed that several flights were either delayed or cancelled as a result of the weather-related delays.
The disruption followed a challenging weekend for air travel in the UK, as fog caused delays at other major airports, including Stansted, Heathrow, Luton, and Manchester. On Saturday, similar conditions affected flights at Stansted Airport, and live departure boards showed delays across several key terminals.
The Met Office warned that some areas were experiencing visibility as low as just 100 metres due to the fog. Further weather disruptions are expected, with the Met Office issuing warnings for Monday and Tuesday. These warnings include up to 140mm of rain, 20cm of snow, and 60mph winds in the worst-affected areas ahead of New Year’s Eve.