Dec 20, 18, 5:24 am
Last edit by: Canarsie
Travelling to of from London Gatwick 21 December 2018
All LGW services operated on Friday with 2 exceptions (BA2758/0 to AMS and back; BA2938/9 EDI and back). Many flights were heavily delayed.
List of inbound BA diversions from latest closure is in post 463
Incomplete list of inbound cancellations for Friday 21 December is here in post 298.
Current customer guidelines in this post 344 (you can rebook free of charge to 5 January and reroute via LHR/LCY). Try rebooking via the App if you can, otherwise you need to telephone BA.
Background
Gatwick Airport was closed at 21:03 on Wednesday 19 December following reports of drones flying over the airfield. Sightings have continued throughout Thursday 20 December requiring the airport to remain closed. Gatwick Airport advising all passengers to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport. Gatwick airport was further closed on Friday 21 December from 17:00 until 18:25 at which time normal operations resumed after suspected drone sightings.
Previous updates
Current list of cancelled and diverted services
Post 96 and Post 132 and Post 184
All LGW services operated on Friday with 2 exceptions (BA2758/0 to AMS and back; BA2938/9 EDI and back). Many flights were heavily delayed.
List of inbound BA diversions from latest closure is in post 463
Incomplete list of inbound cancellations for Friday 21 December is here in post 298.
Current customer guidelines in this post 344 (you can rebook free of charge to 5 January and reroute via LHR/LCY). Try rebooking via the App if you can, otherwise you need to telephone BA.
Background
Gatwick Airport was closed at 21:03 on Wednesday 19 December following reports of drones flying over the airfield. Sightings have continued throughout Thursday 20 December requiring the airport to remain closed. Gatwick Airport advising all passengers to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport. Gatwick airport was further closed on Friday 21 December from 17:00 until 18:25 at which time normal operations resumed after suspected drone sightings.
Previous updates
Current list of cancelled and diverted services
Post 96 and Post 132 and Post 184
LGW closed due to drone activity
Dec 20, 18, 5:59 am
#181
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Living the dream in Antigua and the nightmare in Florida
Programs: AA PLAT 2MM, *A Gold, WN detractor
Posts: 48,147
I have friends here in Antigua that I was driving to the airport tonight for an ANU-LGW flight. They called me to tell me what was happening, and for now their flight is cancelled. If this was on a television show, no one would believe it.
Dec 20, 18, 5:59 am
#182
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NT Australia
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 4,027
perhaps a long and happy career as a government spokesperson awaits you, CWS 😉
Dec 20, 18, 6:12 am
#183
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Spire, BA Gold
Posts: 8,533
Lots of people on social media stating how "shocking" they find it that drones could shut an airport down and how "embarrassing" this is for the UK.Surely they don't expect a passenger aircraft with upwards of 150 people on board to take off or land with even the smallest risk that an aircraft could be brought down or create damage serious enough for an emergency landing to be required? 
Dec 20, 18, 6:13 am
#185
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,231
Has anybody checked the church .? It’s Christmas (ref to Die Hard)
Gatwick is asking airlines to cancel later flights so people don’t head for airport to avoid further congestion. Duty of care seems to be in place in the terminals.
THameslink offering free travel to London and LNER offering free travel to Scotland. SOU sent coaches to LGW to bring passengers back to SOU to be accommodated on flights there.
People pulling out sll all the stops and the passionate updates from Gatwicks COO with no high viz in sight.
Hope any Flyertalkers old or new get safely to their destinations as well as all passengers affected
Gatwick is asking airlines to cancel later flights so people don’t head for airport to avoid further congestion. Duty of care seems to be in place in the terminals.
THameslink offering free travel to London and LNER offering free travel to Scotland. SOU sent coaches to LGW to bring passengers back to SOU to be accommodated on flights there.
People pulling out sll all the stops and the passionate updates from Gatwicks COO with no high viz in sight.
Hope any Flyertalkers old or new get safely to their destinations as well as all passengers affected
Dec 20, 18, 6:20 am
#187
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Munich, Algarve, Sussex or S.F Bay Area
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, A3*Gold, AA Plat, HH Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Marriott Plat
Posts: 3,925
My SVQ-LGW is already showing as "Delayed - to be confirmed" but BA stubbornly will not let me rebook. "Sorry sir, policy, etc." Now, I understand that rules are rules and until the flight is cancelled they will not do anything, but I have a very nice alternative to offer them and it would free up 2 seats for some poor souls who are displaced from tonights flight which has now been confirmed cancelled. I am on SVQ-LGW, LHR-JFK-SFO and have an alternative of SVQ-MAD-JFK to connect to the existing JFK-SFO. All one ticket and PNR and all on JB carriers. You'd think they'd love to get us out of the way of LGW and LHR, but no. At least, not yet, not until it might be too late.
Dec 20, 18, 6:29 am
#189
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: London, UK
Posts: 5,003
Lots of people on social media stating how "shocking" they find it that drones could shut an airport down and how "embarrassing" this is for the UK.Surely they don't expect a passenger aircraft with upwards of 150 people on board to take off or land with even the smallest risk that an aircraft could be brought down or create damage serious enough for an emergency landing to be required?
Dec 20, 18, 6:31 am
#190
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Almost exactly equally distant from LCY, LGW and LHR.
Programs: BA Gold, IHG Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 115
I don't expect them to fly when it is dangerous to do so. I do expect the authorities to have a better way to respond to this.
For example, get your own drone to follow the enemy drone. Either it needs to be abandoned when it runs out of batteries, or land somewhere the owner can recover it when you can easily swoop in and arrest them.
Also, can't they use triangulation to locate whatever radio signal is being used to control the drone. Surely we have equipment that is capable of doing things like this.
For example, get your own drone to follow the enemy drone. Either it needs to be abandoned when it runs out of batteries, or land somewhere the owner can recover it when you can easily swoop in and arrest them.
Also, can't they use triangulation to locate whatever radio signal is being used to control the drone. Surely we have equipment that is capable of doing things like this.
Dec 20, 18, 6:38 am
#193
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 525
Having initially ruled out Terrorism seems Police are now keeping their options open
which , should they find these people, makes it more likely they will face charges from counter terrorism legislation than from the drone laws...(the drone-laws is my concept sit com about a really boring set of parents by marriage who always go on about politics)
Detective Superintendent Juliet Parker from Surrey & Sussex joint ops police force tells us “it’s wrong to speculate about terrorism but it is an open question” she says drone not linked to terrorism at this time but is also not ruling it out
Dec 20, 18, 6:39 am
#194
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 61,233
Nevertheless welcome to Flyertalk and to the be BA forum Stephbaker.
Dec 20, 18, 6:40 am
#195
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: LAS/DXB
Programs: LH HON
Posts: 1,191
Lots of people on social media stating how "shocking" they find it that drones could shut an airport down and how "embarrassing" this is for the UK.Surely they don't expect a passenger aircraft with upwards of 150 people on board to take off or land with even the smallest risk that an aircraft could be brought down or create damage serious enough for an emergency landing to be required?
