With flights resuming at Gatwick, we are closing the blog but we will be back up and running if there are more drone sightings or further developments. Thanks for following our coverage.
Updated
Today's key developments
- Flights were suspended for about an hour at 17:45 after reports of drone sightings but have now resumed.
- Gatwick airport had resumed flights at 6am on Friday after they were suspended for around 36 hours due to drone sightings on Wednesday and Thursday.
- Police are still hunting the drone operators who brought the airport to a standstill.
Updated
Lena Balbek, 38, a project manager from Kiev who was visiting an agency in London, has been trying to return home since Thursday.
She said her flight with Ukraine International Airlines was rescheduled for 7pm today but it had now been pushed back until 10pm.
Balbek is philosophical about the experience.
These things happen. You don’t have insurance for such things, it could happen.
The wellbeing as passengers is the most important. I trust the security to do whatever they have to do.
Balbek added she paid for a hotel on Thursday night and did not expect to recover the costs. “I’m disappointed it’s been pushed back but we’re alive and if they tell us it’s okay, then I’ll feel safe.”
Updated
Laura Cammarata, 27, lives in London and was due to travel to Sicily with her partner Giuseppe Alia for Christmas.
She said they were booked on to a flight with Vueling on Thursday afternoon which was rescheduled for today and has since been cancelled.
Cammarata said: “We did the whole process again, we got the train, we started queuing up and at some point they said it’s cancelled again. We’re trying to rebook and they’re saying they can’t book us on.”
Alia, 28, said: “They should have some contingency to get people to other airports. I understand it’s not their fault but they should force airlines to collaborate in this situation.”
The couple said the alternative flights cost “three or four times” the £400 they paid for the flights and they were now looking at hiring a car to drive to Italy.
Updated
A friend from Rome who is supposed to be staying with us tonight in London took off while Gatwick was open but was then diverted to Bournemouth when the airport was closed while her BA flight was en route.
However, after arriving in Bournemouth, while she was trying to work out how she would get to London, the passengers were told the airport had reopened and, once the plane was refuelled, they would be departing for Gatwick.
There must be many people going through a similar - and undoubtedly worse in many cases - emotional rollercoaster. She said the BA staff were very professional throughout, which is good to hear.
Updated
Lord Ashcroft is offering a £10,000 reward for information relating to the arrest and charge of the drone operators.
I’ve offered a £10000 reward through @CrimestoppersUK for info leading to the arrest and charge of whoever is flying that drone over @Gatwick_Airport and ruining the holidays of many. Call @CrimestoppersUK at 0800 555 111 or through https://t.co/6mJtzGLnOq . Pls retweet
— Lord Ashcroft (@LordAshcroft) December 21, 2018
Updated
In Europe, the ripple effects of the disruption are clearly easing despite tonight’s temporary suspension at Gatwick with EasyJet declaring its flight out of Athens has only been delayed by 37 minutes this evening.
The airline however is still insisting that passengers arrive at gates at “scheduled departure time.”
Still, it is an improvement on yesterday when the company insisted that all passengers turn up on time for the midday Athens-Gatwick flight even after hundreds had already been cancelled in the UK following the sightings of the dastardly drones.
Updated
Passengers are still advised to check with their airline before heading to Gatwick despite flights resuming
📢Flights at Gatwick have resumed. Please check with your airline before you travel.
— Gatwick Express (@GatwickExpress) December 21, 2018
✈️👉https://t.co/HX9Vdd0uK5
ℹ️👉https://t.co/glUUS6If7I https://t.co/BoGRuL5OBO
One passenger is edging closer to home for Christmas..
Currently onboard our diverted Gatwick flight from Turin (following a cancellation yesterday). We have landed in Birmingham and are waiting on news from the pilot... ALMOST home from Christmas👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/eunWROTORd
— James Chadwick (@James_Chadders) December 21, 2018
ProfHitoshi Nasu, an expert in international law and new technologies from the University of Exeter law school, said criminalisation may not be enough to deter rogue drone operators.
This demonstrates the disruptive potential of drones and difficulties in identifying malicious operators. Criminalising the conduct may not be sufficient deterrence.
It is a wake-up call for us to step up the efforts to protect ourselves from malicious use of drone technology. This could include technological solutions, regulatory measures such as registration and permit requirement, or the use of physical force.
I am sure police will be looking at all the options available and considering what needs to be done.
Updated
EasyJet is continuing to advise travellers to check their flight status before making the journey to Gatwick.
We continue to advise all customers flying to and from London Gatwick today to check the status of their flight on our Flight Tracker https://t.co/Pcq4p8oRYK or via the app, before coming to the airport.
— easyJet (@easyJet) December 21, 2018
Updated
Gatwick reopens.
Flights have now resumed. Airfield movements were suspended while we investigated this as safety remains our main priority. The military measures we have in place at the airport have provided us with reassurance necessary to re-open our airfield.
— Gatwick Airport LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) December 21, 2018
Updated
Gatwick flights resume
Gatwick has announced that flights have resumed after a one-hour suspension.
A spokeswoman said that operators were reassured that military measures now in place meant it was safe to fly despite a “confirmed sighting of a drone”.
Updated
A Sussex police statement said: “Gatwick airport have advised us that airfield operations have been suspended for safety reasons while reports of renewed drone activity are investigated.
“Sussex police is supporting the airport and is proactively deploying significant resources to seek and locate the drone and its operator and to ensure the safety of the travelling public and all those in and around the airport.”
Updated
📢✈️Flights at Gatwick have been suspended. You are strongly advised to not travel without checking with your airline first.
— Southern (@SouthernRailUK) December 21, 2018
ℹ️👉https://t.co/p7bCiwyTlc
Passengers heading to Gatwick have been advised by rail operators to check with their airline before making the journey to the airport.
📢✈️Flights at Gatwick have been suspended. You are strongly advised to not travel without checking with your airline first.
— Thameslink (@TLRailUK) December 21, 2018
ℹ️👉https://t.co/AFfxMwl4Y7
Eleven flights bound for Gatwick have been diverted so far including a British Airways flight from Jersey which was redirected to Bournemouth International airport, which landed at 18:05.
Updated
Noise pollution campaigners have hit back at abuse they attracted for branding the Gatwick drone disruption an “early Christmas present”.
Community Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE), which campaigns against the airport’s busy flight paths, said it was not responsible for the chaos and did not condone the behaviour.
But it did welcome the peace and quiet in the countryside when planes were grounded, prompting abusive messages online and accusations they were behind the incident.
Sally Pavey, chairwoman of CAGNE, said:
With no aircraft flying, it’s been a glimpse of how it used to be - tranquillity. It’s been a bit of respite for us but that doesn’t mean we condone this behaviour.
“We really sympathise with these people who have had their plans disrupted. It’s a horrendous position to find themselves in.”
She called for better legislation to protect airports from disruption from drones.
Updated
A police spokesman said flights from Gatwick had been suspended for safety reasons following “unconfirmed reports” of another drone sighting.
Updated
I’m in Gatwick’s south terminal, trying to get to Sydney on a China Airlines flight.
After waiting for 90 minutes, we were told that the only plane they have in the terminal - which was supposed to have left on Wednesday at 9:15pm - is now full.
Just as we were taken to the service desk to be rebooked onto another flight, for tomorrow or later, we heard that the drone had returned.
The airport, which was fairly empty when we arrived, had started to fill up by 5:30pm, when the drone returned, but there’s not yet a sense of total shutdown here, even though current estimates are that flights will be “regulated” until 9pm.
What there is is a significantly increased police presence from the norm, and a lot of airport staff handing out phone numbers for hotlines that don’t work because of the high load of calls.
Frustratingly, at least for our carrier, the airlines seem loth to rebook passengers on flights leaving from other airports, instead attempting to encourage people to hold on for the next flight out.
In the 20 minutes since the drone reappeared, there’s now noticeably more movement in the airport, though not in any of the check-in queues.
Trains continue to disgorge passengers into the checkin area, though it doesn’t look like they’re going to have any luck tonight.
Updated
Aircraft have been circling the skies over the airport as they are currently unable to land. The last take off was at 16:54 and the last landing was at 16:59.
The sighting of the drone occurred at around 17:10.
Officers still do not know who was behind the disruption but have identified “persons of interest”.
Updated
It is the worst possible news for travellers preparing for the Christmas getaway following the 36-hour shutdown from Wednesday night.
The airport had reopened at around 6am on Friday with the majority of the 126,000 passengers getting on flights.
But we now have a recurrence of the disruption, fingers crossed flights will resume as soon as possible.
Gatwick “temporarily suspending” airfield operations
We are restarting our live blog on the disruption after Gatwick airport announced it is “temporarily suspending” its airfield operations following reports that a drone has been sighted again.
A Gatwick spokeswoman said flights were suspended due to a “suspected drone sighting”.
Flights bound for Gatwick are also on hold.
Gatwick is investigating reports of a drone sighting. As a precaution we have suspended airfield operations. More to follow.
— Gatwick Airport LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) December 21, 2018
Updated
Summary
We’re wrapping up our blog, although you’ll see us pop up again should any fresh sightings of the drone or drones cast doubts on continued operations at Gatwick or other airports. Good luck to anyone trying to fly home for Christmas.
Here’s a summary:
• Gatwick’s runway has reopened and a limited number of planes have arrived and departed, after the airport was shut for almost 36 hours by drone sightings overhead.
The airport said “additional mitigating measures” put in place by the police and military were allowing planes to fly again, although at least 100 of the 753 scheduled flights on Friday were due to be cancelled, with planes and crews out of place, and many had already been delayed.
• Military equipment is being used to stop further drone disruption at Gatwick Airport as Transport Secretary Chris Grayling insisted passengers are safe despite the operator not being caught.
Grayling revealed patrols were taking place around other airports in the UK “to watch for any other incidents”.
• Police have said that there are ‘persons of interest’ in their investigation, which is working on the theory there is more than one drone, although the last sighting was at around 10pm on Thursday.
Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry said measures to tackle the threat include “technical, sophisticated options to detect and mitigate drone incursions, all the way down to less sophisticated options - even shotguns would be available to officers should the opportunity present itself.”
• Millions of people are embarking on a Christmas getaway amid warnings of disruption to road, rail and air travel.
Drivers are being advised to defer journeys until after 7.30pm if possible as delays of up to nearly two hours are expected on popular routes.
The M25, M6 and M40 will be the worst traffic hotspots, according to research by the RAC and transport data firm Inrix.
The Labour Party is turning fire on the government over the drones, accusing Transport Secretary Chris Grayling of a “lack of leadership,”
The shadow transport secretary, Andy McDonald said:
We’re all relieved that Gatwick has reopened, but the Government now needs to admit that the chaos of the past two days was a consequence of its own failures.
The Government has neither understood nor fully assessed the risk posed by drones to the UK’s national infrastructure. It has not undertaken anything like appropriate contingency planning. And it has not prepared properly, despite protective technology being available.
It’s obvious that drones should not be able to get anywhere near an airport before being taken down. But the Government has dithered and delayed on regulating drones.
Police are working on the theory there is more than one drone, although the last sighting was at around 10pm on Thursday.
Speaking during the press conference in the last half an hour, Assistant chief constable Steve Barry said measures to tackle the threat include: “technical, sophisticated options to detect and mitigate drone incursions, all the way down to less sophisticated options - even shotguns would be available to officers should the opportunity present itself.”
He added: “In terms of motivation there is a whole spectrum of possibilities, from the really high end criminal behaviour all the way down to just individuals trying to be malicious.”
Press still very keen at Gatwick ACC Steve Barry in the midst of it pic.twitter.com/2a7IO1i3WB
— eddie mitchell (@brightonsnapper) December 21, 2018
Updated
Police : 'Persons of interest' in drone investigation
A press conference has kicked off at Gatwick, where the police say that there are “persons of interest”. Frances Perraudin is there for the Guardian:
Assistant chief constable Steve Barry says there are persons of interest in the drones investigation at Gatwick pic.twitter.com/b4zmu16nKr
— Frances Perraudin (@fperraudin) December 21, 2018
Some more tales of woe now from Gatwick. David Sowter, 79, set off on his journey to visit his daughter in Jersey for Christmas at 5am on Wednesday morning, driving first to Jacksonville in Florida and flying to Fort Lauderdale in order to catch a connection to Gatwick.
But following the drone sightings his flight was unable to land in London and so was diverted to Paris. After sitting on the runway for four hours, he was put on a bus to Calais and a ferry to Dover. He arrived at Gatwick at 5am on Friday morning. His flight to Jersey is now scheduled to leave at 7pm.
He doesn’t have a smart phone and so has been unable to following the unfolding situation with drone sightings. “I’ve got a flip phone. My daughter in Jersey doesn’t even know where I am,” he said. His plans for the rest of the day at Gatwick mainly involve drinking beer. “I already had two at breakfast this morning,” he said. “I had a proper English breakfast with two pints of Guinness.”
Taxi driver Paul Richardson and his family are waiting to get on a delayed flight to Tenerife for his 50th birthday. “We were following it yesterday, but we thought that by now it would have been done and dusted,” he said. “I just want to know where it’s coming from. Who’s doing it?” said his daughter Elle-May of the drones. “Who’s laughing at us?”
“What people don’t understand is how many people it affects,” she said. “Obviously it affects us the travelers but it also affects the people who work here. We’re lucky that we’re all together. Imagine if you were visiting family who were waiting for you.”
The Richardson family also plan to pass the time at Gatwick drinking.
“There’s no point worrying about something you can’t change,” said Karen, Paul’s wife. “We might as well start early and enjoy ourselves.” The family’s spirits have not been dampened yet. “The holiday is going to be fantastic,” said Paul. “I’ve got all my family with me –my girl, my boy. They haven’t been away with us for five years so it’s going to be lovely.”
David Sowter, 79, set off on his journey to visit his daughter in Jersey for Christmas at 5am on Wednesday morning. “I left home and drove to Jacksonville, Florida. Then I flew from there to Fort Lauderdale and got on a Norwegian Air flight to Gatwick,” he told the Guardian.
Following the drone sightings his flight was unable to land in London and so was diverted to Paris. After sitting on the runway for four hours, he was put on a bus to Calais and a ferry to Dover. He arrived at Gatwick at 5am on Friday morning. His flight to Jersey is now scheduled to leave at 7pm.
He doesn’t have a smart phone and so has been unable to following the unfolding situation with drone sightings. “I’ve got a flip phone. My daughter in Jersey doesn’t even know where I am,” he said. His plans for the rest of the day at Gatwick mainly involve drinking beer. “I already had two at breakfast this morning,” he said. “I had a proper English breakfast with two pints of Guinness.”
Taxi driver Paul Richardson and his family are waiting to get on a delayed flight to Tenerife for his 50th birthday. “We were following it yesterday, but we thought that by now it would have been done and dusted,” he said.
“I just want to know where it’s coming from. Who’s doing it?” said his daughter Elle-May of the drones. “Who’s laughing at us?
“What people don’t understand is how many people it affects. Obviously it affects us the travellers but it also affects the people who work here. We’re lucky that we’re all together. Imagine if you were visiting family who were waiting for you.”
The Richardson family also plan to pass the time at Gatwick drinking. “There’s no point worrying about something you can’t change,”said Karen, Paul’s wife. “We might as well start early and enjoy ourselves.”
The family’s spirits have not been dampened yet. “The holiday is going to be fantastic,” said Paul. “I’ve got all my family with me: my girl, my boy. They haven’t been away with us for five years so it’s going to be lovely.”
A total of 91 of 412 scheduled arrivals have been cancelled, according to Gatwick spokesman, while 64 of 371 scheduled departures have been cancelled.
He added that “significant” numbers of flights are arriving and departing and advised passengers to check with their airline.
Pilots' union still "extremely concerned at risk of a drone collision"
In comparison to the assurances given by Gatwick Airport authorities and the government, quite a different tone is coming from the pilots’ union who have said on Twitter that it remains “extremely concerned” at the risk of a drone collision.
BALPA remains extremely concerned at the risk of a drone collision. It is possible that the rogue drones may go undetected around the perimeter or could obstruct the flight paths outside the immediate detection zone. (5/7)
— BALPA (@BALPApilots) December 21, 2018
Although the south terminal here at Gatwick is very busy this morning, it is also relatively calm. People seem to have arrived well prepared for the disruption.
Leigh Wynkoop and her son Paul (pictured below) are sitting on the floor, waiting to catch a flight to New York city before traveling on to their home in Durham, North Carolina. They first arrived at Gatwick on Thursday morning at around 7am for a morning flight and stayed until about 2pm before booking themselves into a nearby hotel.
“I just paid for the hotel myself and kept the receipt because I don’t know what’s going to happen,” she said. Their flight was rescheduled for 9.50am on Friday and then delayed until 1pm.
Our flight from New York to back home was this afternoon and I’ve had to reschedule that to the tune of £500. Now we’re not going to make that, so we’re going to sleep on the floor of my aunt’s house in New York city and fly tomorrow. We’ll get home 48 hours later than planned.
“It’s no one’s fault except for one idiot,” said Wynkoop. “What could the airport do? It’s a safety issue. They couldn’t have flown us. I understand that.”
She added: “It’s just an extraordinary circumstance for everybody and I feel very fortunate that I wasn’t traveling with an infant and that I could afford to get a hotel.”
Espen (a 30-year-old who just gave his first name) is also back at Gatwick for the second time in two days. He and his girlfriend are trying to get back home to Hamar in Norway after a holiday in London.
I got a notice from Norwegian Air at around 11am in the morning (on Thursday) saying the flight was cancelled. I tried to call them for almost two hours but I couldn’t get through. Then I saw that they had scheduled a plane to Stockholm last night, so we booked that. Then as we were on the way to the airport they cancelled it.
They are hoping to get on a flight at 13.45 today.
Updated
It’s likely that there’s going to be renewed scrutiny into the preparations (or lack of them) in government circles for events like drone disruption at airports.
Discussions date back to at least 2015, though campaigners have in the past accused the Government of a “culture of secrecy” when it comes to drones and the formulation of policy.
Here’s a tweet this morning from a solicitor who acted for an attempt by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Drones to overturn a refusal by the Department for Transport to release details about discussions on drones under the Freedom of Information Act:
The @APPGDrones was using #FOIA to push for greater transparency around the @transportgovuk-led discussions re. drone regulation in 2015, yet debate and discussion was resisted. No surprise @chrisgraylingmp is helming this latest disaster https://t.co/TipImiqvs4
— Daniel Carey (@danieljcarey) December 21, 2018
The original FOI sought details of the ‘Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) Cross Government Working Group.’
In a legal submission, it was said that MPs only became aware of its existence because a member of the Ministry of Defence’s Weapons, Evaluation, Capability and Assurance group alluded it when speaking at an arms fair which took place in September 2013.
The committee subsequently committed in 2015 to greater transparency by publishing a list of drones use by government departments, release summaries of meetings and set up what was described as an “oversight board.”
I’ve just asked the Department for Transport to point us in the direction of where those minutes and other details can be found.
Updated
Gatwick chief would suspend operations again if drone endangers aircraft
Gatwick’s chief executive has refused to rule out the the possibility of future drone disruption once the military leave the airport.
Speaking outside of the airport this morning, Chris Woodroofe said there is currently no commercially available equipment he could put in place to neutralise the threat.
“This is an unprecedented issue. This isn’t a Gatwick Airport issue. It’s not even a UK issue. It’s an international issue,” he added.
“What we need to be doing going forward is work with technology providers and with the Government to enhance our ability to address the risk posed by drones to airports,” said Woodroofe.
“We have been working with technology providers ourselves for the last 12 months but stood here today, there is no commercially available airport licensed proven technology that I could implement.”
Asked if there is anything in place to stop this happening again once the military leave, he said: “My number one priority is going to be the safety of our passengers. And so, if the drone comes and endangers an aircraft then we will suspend runway operations because safety is the number one priority.”
Updated
RTE’s London Correspondent, Fiona Mitchell, is at Heathrow this morning, where travellers have been drawing solace from a new source:
A lot of zen @HeathrowAirport this morning. Sixth time I’ve heard someone say ‘at least it’s not Gatwick’ #HolidaysAreComing pic.twitter.com/CpDnVSdEmH
— Fiona Mitchell (@mitchefi) December 21, 2018
The pilots’ union guidance on what to do if pilots spot a drone is based around ‘Speed, Inform, Delay, Avoidance and Report’
Here’s the ‘Speed’ part:
- Initially to minimum clean, including during departure
- On STAR, initial or intermediate approach, request a further reduction to 180kt
- On final approach observe ATC speed constraints to maintain separation
Pilots' union: detection equipment now in place at Gatwick
The pilots’ union says it understands that detection and tracking equipment have now been installed around the perimeter of Gatwick, adding that the “rogue drone” may be expected to fly again.
The expectation is that if and when the drones reappear, they will be detected and the airport will close again, according to the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA).
Brian Strutton, BALPA General Secretary, said:
It is up to the relevant authorities to decide whether it is safe to re-open Gatwick given that the rogue drone is still around and may be expected to fly again.
BALPA is not aware that any special advice has been given to pilots operating into or out of Gatwick and so we have this morning ensured that all our UK pilots have BALPA’s advice on what to do if they see a drone while flying.
BALPA remains extremely concerned at the risk of a drone collision. It is possible that the rogue drones may go undetected around the perimeter or could obstruct the flight paths outside the immediate detection zone.
Given this continuing threat we have this morning issued our advice to pilots about steps to be taken if a drone is sighted.
Updated
If you’ve been affected by the events at Gatwick and would like to share eyewitness accounts or news tips, anonymously if you prefer, with our journalists then please do so via the form here.
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It’s no coincidence that some of the media outlets suggesting that the drone chaos was the work of environmental activists have a history of climate science denial and anti-environmentalism, according to this piece in DeSmog, an investigative media outlet focusing on climate and environmental issues
The basis for claims that such activists were responsible is “almost nothing” according to Mat Hope, who criticises coverage based on “speculation from an unamed Whitehall source, speculation from the police, and speculation from alt-right climate science deniers.” He adds:
We simply don’t know who is responsible for the Gatwick disruption. It could be a “lone wolf” who maybe identifies as an “environmentalist”. But we don’t know that.
And journalists are meant to report facts, not speculation.
This is at best bad journalism, and at worst something a lot more sinister.
Updated
The closure of Gatwick Airport was an “early Christmas present” for those that suffer aircraft noise, according to a campaign group against aviation noise in the area.
Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions (CAGNE) says residents woke to silence from the airport on 20th December, “offering a glimpse of the tranquillity that they use to enjoy before Gatwick introduced concentrated flight paths (2013-14) and increased the number of aircraft movements”.
It added:
For tens of thousands of residents of Sussex, Surrey and Kent they enjoyed some respite from the aircraft motorways above their homes that usual, in part, blight their lives day and night, and due to an out of date law, are powerless to take legal action to stop the flights from impacting their wellbeing and house value.
Although CAGNE, an umbrella community group, does not condone the irresponsible behaviour of flying drones near an airport potentially endangering lives, it was an early Christmas present for those that suffer aircraft noise.
The group adds that residents feel powerless to stop plans to increase the number of planes above rural homes of Sussex, Surrey and Kent.
Updated
Bolstered patrols are meanwhile taking place around other UK airports to watch out for any similar threats of the type which brought Gatwick to a standstill, the transport secretary also revealed this morning.
Chris Grayling added: “We’re going to be talking very quickly indeed to other airports about other measures they can also take and we should be looking to take to make sure this can’t happen elsewhere.”
A colleague at Gatwick Airport who is waiting to catch a flight to the continent has been in touch. Annie Kelly says:
It is absolutely rammed, every seat full but generally very calm. Lots of conspiracy theories swirling among passengers but flights are going regularly, albeit many with two or three hours delay and nobody seems angry.
There’s even a Santa ringing a sleigh bell walking around the packed departure area.
Updated
Gatwick’s runway has reopened and a limited number of planes have arrived and departed, after the airport was shut for almost 36 hours by drone sightings overhead.
The airport said “additional mitigating measures” put in place by the police and military were allowing planes to fly again, although at least 100 of the 753 scheduled flights on Friday were set to be cancelled, with planes and crews out of place, and many have already been delayed.
More than 126,000 passengers were due to fly out today, after 110,000 were booked on cancelled flights yesterday. A first arrival from China landed at aroundabout 6am and the first departure, a Norwegian Airlines flight to Lapland, took off soon after.
The operator of the drone or drones has yet to be discovered, but no further sightings have been recorded since late yesterday, the airport said.
Sussex police said they were pursuing several lines of inquiry and an environmental protest was “a possibility”, but the force was not linking the drone to terrorism. The airport’s runway was first closed after sightings at about 9pm on Wednesday.
The transport secretary, Chris Grayling, who yesterday claimed that “substantial drones” had caused the chaos, today admitted that it was uncertain if there was more than one.
He denied he had ignored warnings, and said he was planning to hold talks with airports soon to discuss the lessons of Gatwick and try to prevent similar disruption.
Pilots’ unions, opposition politicians and other aviation bodies yesterday have called for tougher measures and immediate action, including wider exclusion zones around airports.
Grayling told the BBC’s Today programme that it was “a new kind of attack” and that the perpetrator would face a substantial jail sentence. He said it was “unlikely to be” the action of a foreign state, but wasn’t was not ruling anything out.
Updated
Airports facing "a new kind of threat," says transport minister
Airports are facing a “new kind of threat” Chris Grayling has said, adding that he was not ruling out any possibility in terms of who was responsible for the chaos.
“It could be an environmental protest but we genuinely don’t know,” he said on the Today programme.
It was “unlikely” that the drone was the work of a foreign state but “we genuinely don’t know.”
Whoever was responsible should face the full rigour of the law, added the transport secretary, who said: “They need to go to jail for a long time.”
Grayling was pressed on how and why it took so long for measures to be put in place to enable the airport to open again and insisted that he and others had been working on a solution since the problem first became apparent.
There are anti-drone technologies that are now available but there is not a single “off the shelf” solution, he said.
Grayling said that you “can’t just shoot down a drone” and gave the example of somewhere else in the world where he said that hundreds of bullets had been fired from a machine gun and yet a drone had not been brought down.
Updated
Transport Secretary to convene discussions among UK-wide airports
Discussions with other airports around the UK are going to be convened as quickly as possible, the transport secretary, Chris Grayling has said.
“This kind of incident is unprecedented anywhere in the world, the disruption of an airport in this way,” he has told BBC Breakfast.
“We’re going to have to learn very quickly from what’s happened. I plan to convene discussion with other airports around the UK very quickly indeed so that they know what’s happened, they understand what lessons need to be learned, and we’ve put in place every measure we possibly can to ensure this can’t happen again.”
Grayling said there had been around 40 sightings of what were thought to be a “small number of drones” while the airport was closed.
“It certainly wasn’t a lot, it was the same small number of drones seen many times,” he said
Asked if it was terror-related, he said: “It’s a different kind of disruption. Certainly there’s no evidence it’s terror-related in the conventional sense, not linked – as far as we’re aware – to an international terrorist group.”
“But it’s clearly a kind of disruptive activity that we’ve not seen before.”
Updated
The number of drone sightings at Gatwick Airport since Wednesday has been “unprecedented” but police now have “a number of options” around its perimeter to help prevent further disruption, according to Sussex Police assistant chief constable Steve Barry.
Here’s what the airspace around London looks like this morning, meanwhile:
Airspace around London today.. picking up around Gatwick but some way to go pic.twitter.com/5BQSZx3cnv
— Ben Quinn (@BenQuinn75) December 21, 2018
Updated
Christ Woodroofe, Gatwick’s Chief operating officer, had this advice this morning to passengers:
Our advice to our passengers is to check with their airline on each of those flights that they’re intending to get, to establish whether it’s one of the flights that’s being operated or one of the flights that’s being cancelled, before they come to the airport.
I’d just like to apologise to all of those affected over the last 36 hours - 120,000 passengers who were due to fly to their destinations or arrive into Gatwick who have not travelled.
We’re expecting to hear from the Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, within the next half an hour.
Updated
Gatwick chief: Help from military made flights possible today
Gatwick has been reopened due to “additional mitigating measures” that have been put in place in collaboration with government agencies and the military, Gatwick’s Chief Operating Officer has said.
Chris Woodroofe, who was speaking on BBC’s Today Programme in the last half an hour, said that he couldn’t comment on whether that means that the drone will be shot down if it appears again.
“You’ll appreciate that there are certain things I can’t talk about in detail,” he said when pressed
However, he did add that what the last 24 hours have shown is that a lot more work needs to be done at international airports to prepare and counteract such events.
“We need to do work with both technology providers and governments to address this risk,” he said
Gatwick had been working on issues around the threat from drones for more than a year but the reality is that today “there is still no commercial solution that is licensed to operate at airports that is proven,” he said.
“We have called in government agencies and the military to assist us in getting Gatwick open again to counteract this unprecedented event, this criminal act.”
He expected just under seven hundred departures to go through the airport today, a reduction of one hundred flights.
However, he agreed that the continuity of operations depended on whether or not the drone would be spotted again.
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Folks, I’m signing off now and handing over to my colleague Ben Quinn.
Thanks for following along over these last, frankly quite exciting, hours. Keep checking in as we see how things go at Gatwick, whether the drone reappears and what news there is of the search for the drone operator(s).
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Drone operator has not been found and 700 flights to depart Gatwick today, says COO
The Gatwick COO says they are expecting to see 700 departures from the airport on Friday and that these planned departures depend on whether there are any more sightings of the drone.
The COO says the drone operator has not been found by police but the airport has put in additional mitigating measures to protect against drones and these measures have given him the confidence to re-start flights.
That beautiful word “DEPARTED” is starting to appear on the deartures board at Gatwick airport again. Feeling for those who are seeing “DELAYED” and “ENQUIRE AIRLINE” for their flights. pic.twitter.com/Kk4NXrPVIe
— Kate Lyons (@MsKateLyons) December 21, 2018
Welcome to all the passengers onboard the easyJet flight from Bordeaux that has just landed at Gatwick.
A flight to Dubrovnik has just left Gatwick and one to Malaga is taking off now. Flights to Murcia, Milan and Gibraltar on the runway.
Gatwick is beginning to resemble a functional airport once more.
A veritable cornucopia of flights preparing for takeoff from Gatwick. These flights are variously heading to Milan, Murcia, Gibraltar and Malaga. pic.twitter.com/Uxcd0nXyWJ
— Kate Lyons (@MsKateLyons) December 21, 2018
‘Chaos in the skies’: How the papers covered it
You’ll be unsurprised to hear that it is (almost) all about the Gatwick chaos on the front pages of the papers today.
“Chaos in the skies,” says the i. The Sun calls it: “The drone wolf” and the Guardian reports “Gatwick chaos sparks call for new controls on drones”.
The Daily Mail is incredulous, asking: “How COULD this speck in the sky ruin Christmas for 350,000?” and the Express feels similarly: “Just how can drone maniac shut Gatwick?”
The Telegraph cites a Whitehall source who suggests environmentalists could be responsible: “Eco-warriors blamed for drone attack that crippled Gatwick” and the Times reports: “Army called in as drones force Gatwick shutdown”.
Friday's @DailyMailUK #MailFrontPages pic.twitter.com/DJgu49XLxO
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) December 20, 2018
EXPRESS: Just how can drone maniac shut Gatwick? #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/EDiqUSgHpy
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) December 20, 2018
Tomorrow's front page: Gatwick to be shut 'for foreseeable future' as 'eco-warrior' sends up drone AGAIN despite being hunted by cops, Army and MI5 for 24 hours https://t.co/XGQafnlPDG pic.twitter.com/P2Oj1UaZgs
— The Sun (@TheSun) December 20, 2018
The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph: 'Eco-warriors blamed for drone attack that crippled Gatwick' #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/HVUS9GZlEy
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) December 20, 2018
Guardian front page, Friday 21 December 2018: Gatwick chaos sparks call for new controls on drones pic.twitter.com/ELGwgn8rLv
— The Guardian (@guardian) December 20, 2018
THE TIMES: Army called in as drones force Gatwick shutdown #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/Thvi1Xvx96
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) December 20, 2018
There is quite a lot of irritation online at the lack of information coming out of Gatwick Airport and some airlines.
Please @Gatwick_Airport @easyjet some viable information on your websites? I've been up all night looking for non existent flights to get my family together for xmas https://t.co/sEWYwaxKhN
— Dawn Punter (@dawnpunter) December 21, 2018
Gatwick Airport’s official Twitter account didn’t post any new information for seven hours throughout the night, remaining silent between 11pm and 6am.
Due to the unprecedented volume of tweets we’re receiving at the moment we are posting regular updates here, but may be unable to respond to individuals. Please check the latest flight information with your airline. We apologise for the continued disruption today.
— Gatwick Airport LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) December 21, 2018
At about 6am they tweeted “due to the unprecedented volume of tweets we’re receiving at the moment we are posting regular updates here”, but since then have not posted anything.
Though they do have a notice running on their website:
Gatwick’s runway is currently available and a limited number of aircraft are scheduled for departure and arrival.
Gatwick continues to advise passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport as departures and arrivals will be subject to delays and cancellations.
easyJet hasn’t posted on Twitter for 13 hours and has had the same update live on its website since 4:30am, confirming the runway is now open and that they “expect... the number of departures and landings will be restricted to begin with”.
We are making every effort to get people to their destination but following reports of drones flying over @Gatwick_Airport, the runway remains closed and flights are currently suspended. We have cancelled all flights due to operate to or from LGW today. https://t.co/y4Y2Cy0j40
— easyJet Press Office (@easyJet_press) December 20, 2018
And credit where its due, British Airways’ social media team have been working overtime to respond individually to customer inquiries.
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Three more planes are taxiing at Gatwick, two to Alicante and one to Geneva. They are:
- easyJet flight EZY24QY to Alicante
- British Airways flight BA2736 to Geneva
- British Airways flight BA 2632 to Alicante
First plane departs Gatwick after closure
We have lift-off!
The Norwegian Airlines flight D82968 to Rovaniemi has taken off and is now on its way to deliver its passengers to Finland.
Safe travels D82968.
The Rovaniemi flight is on the runway. No estimated departure time yet. But this is exciting. I am really barracking for these Rovaniemi travellers.
We still haven’t seen any planes depart Gatwick, which is what the thousands of people currently stranded there are waiting for.
The Norwegian Arlines D82968 flight to Rovaniemi Finland was due to take off at 5:45am and has been listed on the Gatwick departures board as “LAST CALL” for about an hour now. Fingers crossed that that flight leaves soon, we’ll keep you posted.
For those interested in the riveting game that is Live Flight Departure Board Watch, you can play along at home, by looking here.
Flight from Shanghai lands at Gatwick, first international flight to arrive
And the good news keeps on rolling. The China Eastern Airlines flight from Shanghai is just about to land into Gatwick.
This is the first international flight to land at the airport and you can imagine the relief of those people onboard the plane at the prospect of a safe landing. The flight from Shanghai is 12 hours and 45 minutes, so well done to all those passengers who made it, who I imagine will be keen on a stiff drink, a shower, and a good sleep.
More flights are listed as boarding at Gatwick Airport, with gates open. Congratulations to all those who have been sleeping (as much as anyone ever sleeps at an airport) and have awoken to news they will be going to Alicante this morning as they hoped. pic.twitter.com/y4xiMpZQG7
— Kate Lyons (@MsKateLyons) December 21, 2018
First plane lands at Gatwick after drone closures
The first plane has landed at Gatwick airport after the airport was closed for more than 24 hours, meaning the airport is up and running.
The Thomas Cook flight is coming into land at Gatwick. It’s due to touch down in one minute, which means, ladies and gentlemen, we officially have a somewhat functioning airport.
I feel like there should be enforced applause when it lands, like Ryanair does when their planes arrive on time.
The race is on! I think the China Eastern Airlines flight will be beaten to Gatwick by a Thomas Cook Airlines flight MT480, which is estimated to land 10 minutes before the China Airlines flight, with an estimated arrival time of 5:49am. This is oddly exciting.
China Eastern Airlines could be beaten by Thomas Cook Airlines flight MT480. Who will win the race to be first to land at Gatwick after the closures? pic.twitter.com/IRObUNTlZc
— Kate Lyons (@MsKateLyons) December 21, 2018
It appears we have our first flight on track to land at Gatwick in more than 24 hours.
It is China Eastern Airlines flight MU201 from Shanghai to Gatwick. It is an Airbus A330-243 and its estimated time of arrivals is 5:59am.
Here comes the MU201 China Eastern Airlines flight from Shanghai. Could this be the first flight to land at Gatwick in more than 24 hours? pic.twitter.com/YlxWM1yy5I
— Kate Lyons (@MsKateLyons) December 21, 2018
easyJet have also confirmed the runway is open and they are expecting flights to recommence shortly.
“Gatwick airport have confirmed that the runway is now open. We do expect that the number of departures and landings will be restricted to begin with, which means that we are likely to experience more disruption to the flying programme. We would like to request our passengers to continue to check the status of their flight on the easyJet Flight Tracker www.easyjet.com/en/flight-tracker”
Exciting times, we have a “LAST CALL” announcement on Gatwick airport’s live departures website.
Apparently the Norwegian Airlines flight D82968 to Rovaniemi, Finland is on track to depart from Gatwick airport in 10 minutes. The airport has issued a “last call” for passengers to head to Gate 28. So if you’re reading this and you’re due on that plane, run to Gate 28. Everyone else, take heart from this.
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Flight Radar is showing quite a bit of activity on the ground at Gatwick airport. Those small grey rectangles are ground vehicles. We haven’t seen any plane icons appear yet, but when we do, that’s a sign that planes may be about to take off.
We’re working to confirm more about the reopening of the airport – which flights will go ahead, when flights will begin taking off etc – I’ve contacted Gatwick airport and British Airways for more information.
But in the meantime, enjoy this tweet from a disgruntled passenger, who is unimpressed at the advertisement on his boarding pass for a flight today that may end up being cancelled, which advertises ... drones.
The advert was placed before the issues at Gatwick and has now been removed. We are sorry for any offence.
— easyJet (@easyJet) December 21, 2018
More promising news from British Airways, who say “the airport is back open and the majority of flights operating as scheduled”.
We've received confirmation 10 minutes ago from London Gatwick, advising the airport is back open and the majority of flights operating as scheduled, Samuel. Your flight looks good to go on time, however, please feel free to check our website in case of any change. ^Lisa
— British Airways (@British_Airways) December 21, 2018
Good morning and welcome to the Gatwick chaos live blog. An especial welcome to those of you who have spent what I imagine was a fairly uncomfortable night sleeping at Gatwick airport.
We start with some qualified good news, which is that Gatwick airport have announced there may be a partial reopening of the airport shortly.
“We are currently working with airlines and air traffic controllers to introduce a limited number of flights over the coming hours,” said the airport on its website.
“Gatwick continues to advise passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport.”
British Airways, in response to a query from a passenger on Twitter, said they have received an update and the “airport is open and we’re operating a schedule as per ba.com”.
Hi Matt. We've received an update and the airport is open and we're operating a schedule as per https://t.co/2Ty8CEO0Dq. Please check the website before setting out. ^Neil
— British Airways (@British_Airways) December 21, 2018
Gatwick has warned people to check with their airline before leaving for the airport, and given the number of delayed and cancelled flights since Wednesday night, and the fact that the reopening seems to only be partial, people should still anticipate heavy delays.
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