Airlines have been warned the UK's second largest airport is facing a fuel shortage, sparking fears of severe disruption during the summer holidays.
Gatwick Airport issued an alert to pilots instructing them to load up fuel at other airports where possible while en-route to the airport.
The memo sent out to carriers stated, "Gatwick has a shortage of fuel for the next two days" and added, "Please uplift max possible fuel at outstations", The Sun on Sunday reports.
Elsewhere, a second "emergency" alert told airline chiefs of "potential disruption to the Gatwick fuel supply".
It is understood the warning is likely to hit long-haul flights the hardest, while pilots will attempt to stock as much fuel from foreign destinations as they can without breaching weight restrictions.
A source told The Sun: "Most flights beyond 2.5 hours will still need extra fuel in Gatwick. The fuel shortage warning came with many long-haul flights already enroute to the UK, meaning crews were unable to bring extra fuel with them.
"Pilots will be trying to supplement as much fuel as they can down-route to protect the long-haul flights and stretch out supply.
"The longer the fuel shortage lasts, the tighter it will get. It means there is a good chance of disruption, particularly Monday onwards."
The issue has been linked to a major fuel farm which supplies Gatwick, and engineers are said to be working against the clock to resolve the crisis.
Earlier this summer, there were fears that the Iran War and closure of the Strait of Hormuz would lead to aviation fuel shortages, with prices nearly doubling.
However, the current crisis is not thought to be the result of the conflict.
It follows a distressing day for Gatwick passengers last Sunday, when a water outage throughout the day led to the closure of toilets, bars and restaurants.
The regional supplier SES Water said a power outage at its Bough Beech Water Treatment Works led to water being cut off, with engineers spending hours fixing the problem.
In the meantime, the airport was left without access to running water for over eight hours, while the closure of the airport’s cafes, bars and restaurants placed an additional strain on seating - with many passengers huddled on the floor.
In a message on X at 7.14pm, Gatwick Airport stated: “We recognise the inconvenience caused by today’s water shortage, following an issue at the Bough Beech Water Treatment Works that has impacted the local area.
"Since becoming aware of the issue, we have been working closely with SES Water and our airport partners to help minimise the impact.
"We are pleased to report that water pressure is beginning to return to normal, and our teams are working hard to reopen toilets and other facilities as quickly and safely as possible. Additional staff have been deployed across both terminals to support passengers and maintain operations.”
The airport thanked passengers for their patience.
