Dec 20, 2018, 5:24 am

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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

LGW closed due to drone activity

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Dec 20, 2018, 2:11 am

#61

Sigwx

Join Date: Dec 2012

Posts: 3,164

Quote:

Aerodromes:

EGKK( Gatwick)
Airfield unavailable due to drones in the area till 1200 UTC.
High delays.

Dec 20, 2018, 2:13 am

#62

Pads

Join Date: Dec 2018

Programs: BA Blue

Posts: 12

Quote:

Originally Posted by bisonrav

If it's coordinated, the problem the authorities have is that if they bring one or two down, others may be launched. They'll be concentrating on finding the operators and tracing launch sites. In that sense, leaving drones up is sensible to attempt to trace control signals or track them. There will be a lot more going on than we will be told.

The best way to find launch sites may be to take the ones in the air out safely and then watch where the new ones come from. The current method seems not to have got any results so someone needs to make a call to adapt the plan.

wrp96, nancypants and Irreverent Medusa like this.

Dec 20, 2018, 2:17 am

#63

corporate-wage-slave

Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club

Join Date: Feb 2010

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Posts: 63,726

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinkicker

Jamming control frequencies only really works if they are being externally controlled... jamming sat-nav (GNSS) signals may cause them to lose position lock and (depending on the programming) they may disappear down-wind but doesn't necessarily crash them. Shooting them with guns has the issue of "overs". Lasers (whether fitted to sharks or not) are still in sci-fi so it leaves you with electronic attack of the drone itself which requires a whole interesting level of capabilities generally available in the bucket market "military" and even then that capability may, or may not, exist in a form available and "safe" to use near a major airport in the UK.

I know they some places have looked at using sea-eagles (the genus above bald eagles) to take down drones, but they aren't very trainable. Falcon related birds are very trainable and they've done trials on them on the MOD base where I live, but falcons aren't really big enough and any falconer would be terrified their bird will be hurt during a pounce (that's where the word originally comes from).

Dec 20, 2018, 2:17 am

#64

NWIFlyer

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Possibly good news - in the last few minutes flights to Fort Lauderdale and Faro have been called for boarding, so it looks like there is some expectation of operations re-starting earlier than the 11am projection.

EDIT - Malta also now announced.

wrp96 likes this.

Dec 20, 2018, 2:19 am

#65

nancypants

Join Date: Oct 2015

Location: NT Australia

Programs: QF WP

Posts: 4,159

Hmmm...there’s a Westjet and an Air Transat incoming. Westjet was holding around Liverpool but now seems to be out of the hold and heading north

edit:
if westjet isn’t diverting i’ll Eat my hat (although i’m not sure to where- Edinburgh or Glasgow maybe). Air Transat seems to be making a run for it

edit:
westjet diverting to Glasgow
Air Transat got as far as Wokingham but now heading north

Last edited by nancypants; Dec 20, 2018 at 2:50 am

Dec 20, 2018, 2:20 am

#66

baileysserpant

Join Date: Feb 2007

Location: The Island. UK

Programs: BAEC Silver/Hilton Diamond/IHG Spire

Posts: 351

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJSMITH0

Can’t these thing be shot down. Surely their must a contingency plan to deal which drones say in the case of a terrorist attack

i could offer up a team of ten guns (shotguns) and the whole thing could be dealt with easily. It really would be that simple on an airfield. No issue of stray bullets, just some falling shot...

Dec 20, 2018, 2:22 am

#67

Worcester

Join Date: Sep 2014

Location: Brexile in ADB

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Posts: 7,067

The idiot behind this is transmitting a signal. Surprised the local police don't have the equipment to triangulate the signal.

florens likes this.

Dec 20, 2018, 2:24 am

#68

sjc2679

Join Date: Jul 2008

Programs: BA Gold, HH Gold, whatever is saved on the Sky box

Posts: 161

If it can't be shot down for fear of stray bullets, wouldn't this be easier than waiting for batteries to die?

LupineChemist likes this.

Dec 20, 2018, 2:28 am

#69

1Aturnleft

Join Date: Dec 2007

Posts: 3,579

Rebooking information relating to the incident for anyone interested or affected:

Guidelines published to assist our customers due to the closure of London Gatwick airport.
Advice for British Airways-125 ticketed customers whose BA flight is still OPERATING.

Rebook ontoBritish AirwaysAirports affected
BA operated services FROM or TO:
London (LGW)Tickets issued by19 December 2018Ticket travel dates20 December 2018New travel datesUp to and including 24 December 2018Rebooking AllowanceRebook into the same class as the original flight or lowest available in the same cabinOrigin/Destination/Stopover changesNoRefunds AllowedNoImportant InformationOne involuntary ticket change allowed from the above optionsCustomers can be rebooked to/from an alternative airport in LondonFor customers on cancelled flights, please follow the standard Customer Handling Guidelines > Flight Cancellations
Adherence to commercial policies/conditions of carriage guidelines remains entirely the responsibility of the user. BA reserves the right to withdraw guidelines at any time

Dec 20, 2018, 2:28 am

#70

Sigwx

Join Date: Dec 2012

Posts: 3,164

Quote:

Originally Posted by NWIFlyer

I would imagine that boarding is occuring on the most flight time limited services due to length of time already on duty. When it all opens up everyone will be wanting to board all at the same time with only a finite ground staff provision.

wrp96 and nancypants like this.

Dec 20, 2018, 2:33 am

#71

navylad

Join Date: Oct 2015

Location: London, UK

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Posts: 3,937

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irreverent Medusa

Well, if they're any good, there shouldn't be stray bullets

Plus they didn't seem to care much about things straying when they put all these missiles on London rooftops for the 'lympics

Olympics were MACA (Military Aid to Civil Authorities), where there is no immediate threat to life, such as with this case with all flights diverted, the military are not a quick option (would require high level government departmental negotiation- who would foot the bill.

Without going intk details, the military do have contingencies to deal with drone threats and not just falcons; I’d imagine phalanx would make short work of the drones