London Gatwick Airport said it will temporarily limit capacity to 800 daily flights after a rising number of sick leaves at the traffic control unit disrupted operations over the weekend.
The cap, which takes effect on Monday and runs through Oct. 1, responds to the fact that 30% of tower staff at the NATS air traffic control unit are currently unavailable for different medical reasons, including Covid, according to the company. Gatwick had already suffered disruptions over the weekend amid mounting sick leaves.
“This has been a difficult decision but the action we have taken today means our airlines can fly reliable flight programs, which gives passengers more certainty that they will not face last minute cancellations,” Stewart Wingate, the chief executive officer of of London Gatwick, said in a statement.
The reduction to 800 movements compares with as many as 865 flights per day that were set to take place this week. London Gatwick airport is the second major airport in the south of the UK, alongside Heathrow, and the hub is an important airfield for discount carrier EasyJet Plc.
