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, 1:11 am
#31
Senior Mod and Moderator: Aegean Miles&Bonus and British Airways
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,097
I understand LGW has told people not to travel to the airport, which given how generally crowded many of the check-in areas and security were around 6.15am can hardly come as a surprise.
This is certainly one of those moments where a nice lounge with food and drink certainly makes you appreciate the benefits of status - I imagine it’s a pretty miserable experience out in the terminal.
Dec 20, 18, 1:13 am
#32
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: London
Programs: BAEC (gold), HHonors (lowest), Marriot (lowest), Accor (Silver)
Posts: 233
Fecking feckers.
I was on Norwegian ARN-LGW last night. Looped LGW a few times, routed to AMS for refueling, then back to ARN.
Boarded the 0705 ARN-LGW today to be deplaned 0800
I'm now aiming for the SAS 1105 to LHR
Top cap it off, it's all my kids birthday today (3 of them, 5, 2 & 2)
I was on Norwegian ARN-LGW last night. Looped LGW a few times, routed to AMS for refueling, then back to ARN.
Boarded the 0705 ARN-LGW today to be deplaned 0800
I'm now aiming for the SAS 1105 to LHR
Top cap it off, it's all my kids birthday today (3 of them, 5, 2 & 2)
Dec 20, 18, 1:14 am
#33
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,161
Dec 20, 18, 1:17 am
#34
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland / Estonia
Programs: AY+ Platinum, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, HH Diamond, Radisson VIP, IHG Diamond Elite
Posts: 6,380
I don't know anything about drones, but how can this take so long? Surely there is some technology out there to ping the signal and find the operator? Or jam the frequencies?
Dec 20, 18, 1:19 am
#36
Senior Mod and Moderator: Aegean Miles&Bonus and British Airways
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,097
Announcement in the lounge of a raft of cancellations - perhaps 10 or so in total. Astonishingly there’s still plenty of room in here, which is a small consolation.
I think we’ll be here for lunch ...
I think we’ll be here for lunch ...
Dec 20, 18, 1:22 am
#38
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Bangkok / London
Programs: BA Silver, AmEx Platinum, AVIS Presidents Club, Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,084
I was going to add that to my last post but wasn’t sure how well it would be received! But yeah, seriously, shoot the bloody things out of the sky. I can’t believe this has gone on for so long. Fly another drone into it if it’s safer than “shooting” it. But letting it just fly around at leisure seems like a nonsense.
Dec 20, 18, 1:23 am
#39
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,231
The situation has changed markedly in the last 20 minutes. Certainly nothing is moving, and all flights up to 10.05am are now showing ‘Next info at (scheduled departure time)’, which in many cases has passed.
I understand LGW has told people not to travel to the airport, which given how generally crowded many of the check-in areas and security were around 6.15am can hardly come as a surprise.
This is certainly one of those moments where a nice lounge with food and drink certainly makes you appreciate the benefits of status - I imagine it’s a pretty miserable experience out in the terminal.
I understand LGW has told people not to travel to the airport, which given how generally crowded many of the check-in areas and security were around 6.15am can hardly come as a surprise.
This is certainly one of those moments where a nice lounge with food and drink certainly makes you appreciate the benefits of status - I imagine it’s a pretty miserable experience out in the terminal.
Came across as genuine and sincere and no hi vis involved. Seems this appears to be a pre meditated attempt to disrupt at this time of year,
As you say Lounge will be welcome haven,
Is it not not worth trying to squeeze in on a departure from Heathrow sooner rather than later, ?
Dec 20, 18, 1:24 am
#40
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NT Australia
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 4,026
He added: “The police advice is that it would be dangerous to shoot the drone down because of what may happen to the stray bullets.”
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...drone-sighting
Time for the big guns
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...drone-sighting
Time for the big guns
Dec 20, 18, 1:31 am
#41
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: London N8
Programs: BA (LTG), Miles&More (whatever the lowest level is), Oyster card (zones 1-2)
Posts: 832
Hopefully, one outcome of this will be far stricter regulation of these things.
It's only a matter of time before one gets flown - deliberately or not - into an aircraft. Hopefully this will be a wake-up call to sort this out before something really bad happens.
It's only a matter of time before one gets flown - deliberately or not - into an aircraft. Hopefully this will be a wake-up call to sort this out before something really bad happens.
Dec 20, 18, 1:34 am
#42
Senior Mod and Moderator: Aegean Miles&Bonus and British Airways
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,097
I did ask at check-in, but the view was that most flights would be full and that might be difficult. In any case, presumably BA wouldn’t put me on to anything within MCT, so we’d be looking at an even later departure anyway whilst the flight remains scheduled. If it’s cancelled we’re in a different ball game. It strikes me wait and see, given the hassle factor of swapping airports for possibly no gain, is the best bet here - not just for us, for anyone with destinations that operate from different airports.
Dec 20, 18, 1:35 am
#44
Join Date: Dec 2018
Programs: BA Blue
Posts: 12
Also think it is ridiculous how long this is going on for. I've also previously seen talk about using nets to take them down. Cant post links yet but a quick google search has loads of options.
Dec 20, 18, 1:36 am
#45
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Brexile in ADB
Programs: BA, TK, HHonours, Le Club, Best Western Rewards
Posts: 7,067
Seems to be a deliberate act, I wonder who is behind it? The likes of Plane Stupid or Greenpeace seem the obvious culprits.
I wonder how much extra carbon dioxide has been released by all the diversions?
I wonder how much extra carbon dioxide has been released by all the diversions?
