About 50 flights were cancelled at London City airport as emergency repairs were carried out on the runway.
Airport officials said flights had resumed by late morning on Tuesday following hours of serious disruption for travellers, but there would be a knock-on effect for the rest of the day.
The airport did not open on time at 6am due to the repairs on the uneven surface, throwingTuesday’s flight schedule into disarray, stranding hundreds of people. Passengers were being advised to check with their airline before leaving for the airport.
“Due to unexpected essential runway maintenance we are currently experiencing delays and cancellations,” the airport said on its website. “We are expecting to resume flights by midday. Passengers are advised to contact their airline for their flight status … We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
Normally, the airport is popular with Londoners as its proximity to the capital makes it more convenient than trekking out to Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted.
The severe delays led to major congestion at the small airport in east London, with many travellers tweeting their frustration at either being stuck in the terminal or on a plane.
@NewstalkFM London City Airport closed - sitting on runway for nearly two hours now!
— Andrew Bowen (@bowen_andrew) May 19, 2015
Hole in runway at City Airport delaying all flights. Should just pop a cone up & let it slowly fill with crisp wrappers & cans #BritishWays
— Damian Smyth (@smythmr) May 19, 2015
So the dolts @LondonCityAir have shut down the airport without informing passengers. Fourth World customer service. Appalling.
— SUHEL SETH (@suhelseth) May 19, 2015
Airport officials, however, denied the problem was due to a hole, but to an uneven surface that was the result of heavy use from planes landing at the busy airport.
A London City airport spokesman said: “The runway is inspected each evening before we close around 10.30pm and it’s inspected again before we open around 6am. Today’s early inspection found there was a need for maintenance. There is not a hole in the runway but there is a surface problem. There are inconsistencies on the surface of the runway.”
