Disruption at Gatwick Airport has stretched into a second day, with easyJet passengers facing fresh delays on Tuesday 6 October as the knock-on effects of Monday’s chaos continue to ripple through the schedule.
Fourteen of the airline’s departures from the Sussex airport are running behind schedule today, with hold-ups ranging from 15 minutes to almost two hours. The longest delays have hit the morning programme: the 07:00 departure to Olbia in Sardinia is now expected to leave at 08:45, one hour and 45 minutes late, while the 07:05 service to Bari has slipped by 100 minutes to 08:45.
Other badly affected flights include the 06:45 service to Jersey (EZY873), delayed by 75 minutes, the 07:45 departure to Kefallinia (+60 minutes), the 08:20 flight to Marrakech (+85 minutes) and the 10:55 service to Skiathos (+80 minutes). Domestic routes have not escaped either, with morning departures to Edinburgh and Glasgow each pushed back by around an hour.
Tuesday’s delayed easyJet departures
- Jersey (EZY873) 06:45 → 08:00 (+75 mins)
- Olbia (EZY8343) 07:00 → 08:45 (+105 mins)
- Bari (EZY8281) 07:05 → 08:45 (+100 mins)
- Kefallinia (EZY8197) 07:45 → 08:45 (+60 mins)
- Marrakech (EZY8709) 08:20 → 09:45 (+85 mins)
- Edinburgh (EZY808) 08:25 → 09:15 (+50 mins)
- Glasgow (EZY861) 08:40 → 09:35 (+55 mins)
- Skiathos (EZY8201) 10:55 → 12:15 (+80 mins)
- Rhodes (EZY8231) 11:55 → 12:20 (+25 mins)
- Antalya (EZY8561) 12:50 → 13:10 (+20 mins)
- Düsseldorf (EZY8649) 12:55 → 13:30 (+35 mins)
- Pisa (EZY8319) 14:20 → 14:45 (+25 mins)
- Enfidha (EZY8845) 15:25 → 15:45 (+20 mins)
- Montpellier (EZY8389) 17:50 → 18:05 (+15 mins)
The problems follow one of the worst days of the year for punctuality at Gatwick. On Monday 5 October, 464 flights were delayed and 10 cancelled, leaving 55 per cent of departures running behind schedule.
Airline operations teams point to two overlapping causes: air traffic flow restrictions across continental European airspace, which cap how many aircraft can move through congested skies, and a rotation cascade — aircraft and crews that finished Monday out of position started Tuesday’s schedule already behind, forcing further delays. As Gatwick’s biggest operator, easyJet’s timetable has absorbed the heaviest impact. It comes just days after strike chaos was averted when airport workers accepted a new pay deal, in a week that also saw a passenger jailed over a knife-in-luggage threat to staff at the airport.
Your rights: UK261 compensation explained
If your flight is delayed, UK261 — the UK’s retained version of the EU air passenger rights rules — sets out what you are owed. The headline points: if you arrive at your final destination three or more hours late and the delay was within the airline’s control, you may be entitled to fixed compensation of £220 for short-haul flights up to 1,500km, £350 for mid-haul flights between 1,500km and 3,500km, and up to £520 for long-haul flights over 3,500km.
Airlines do not have to pay when the delay was caused by “extraordinary circumstances” outside their control, such as severe weather — a point worth bearing in mind given the airspace flow restrictions cited this week. But knock-on delays caused by an airline’s own earlier operational problems can still be claimable, so it is always worth checking rather than assuming you do not qualify.
Separately, the airline must look after you while you wait: meals and refreshments for long delays, a hotel and transfers if you are stranded overnight, and a rebooking or refund if your flight is cancelled. To claim, keep your boarding passes and any receipts, note your actual arrival time, and submit a claim through easyJet’s website. If it is rejected and you disagree, you can escalate to the aviation adjudicator CEDR or complain to the CAA.
Advice if you’re flying from Gatwick today
Check the live status of your flight before travelling — use Gatwick’s live departures page and the easyJet app, and switch on flight alerts so you hear about changes first. Allow more time than usual to reach the airport, but do not head through security hours early for a flight that has already slipped; the departure boards and the airline’s app will have the latest call-to-gate information.
If you are travelling to the airport by rail, check National Rail before you set off. Services on the Brighton Main Line, including Thameslink, Southern and the Gatwick Express, can be hit by separate disruption, so build in a buffer and have a back-up plan, such as a coach or taxi if the trains fail.
If you are delayed by two hours or more, speak to airline staff about refreshment vouchers, and keep receipts for anything you buy as a result of the delay — reasonable costs can be claimed back. Take screenshots of departure boards and delay notifications too; they are useful evidence if you later make a compensation claim.
Passengers are advised to check with their airline for the latest information before travelling. We will continue to update this story as the situation develops.
