A train to Gatwick Airport had to be cancelled because of two unexpected passengers who started attacking other passengers. These weren't human, but squirrels. The rodents boarded the Great Western Railway train and started exploring the train, reportedly attacking passengers in the process.

The squirrels caused “pandemonium” while the conductor tried to stop them from entering the other carriages of the train.&nbsp;

They got on the train at 9.47 am during a halt at the Surrey village of Gomshall. They got on a rear carriage and quickly started making their way forward. As soon as the passengers noticed them, they started shrieking and running away from them.&nbsp;

One of the persons who witnessed the incident told The Sun, “It was complete pandemonium. The squirrels got into the rear carriage and attacked people."

Calling the squirrel attack "a new one", the person said that people deboarded the train and got into another carriage. "The conductor then had to lock the doors to stop the squirrels moving up the train," they said.

After reaching the Redhill train station, the staff reportedly tried to remove the rodents.&nbsp;They used broomsticks to get rid of the squirrels and even enticed them using peanuts, but nothing worked.&nbsp;

<h2>Ticketless squirrels breached&nbsp;railway 'byeclaws'</h2>

Ultimately, officials were left with no choice but to terminate the service. It then returned to Reading, its origin station. A spokesman for GWR confirmed the cancellation but didn't ignore the humour in the situation.

"We can confirm that the 08.54 Reading to Gatwick was terminated at Redhill after a couple of squirrels boarded the train at Gomshall without tickets, breaching railway byeclaws," he said.

“We attempted to remove them at Redhill, but one refused to leave and was returned to Reading to bring an end to this nutty tail.”

Since the train connects passengers to the Gatwick Airport, several of them also faced the risk of missing their flights.

A train to Gatwick Airport had to be cancelled because of two unexpected passengers who started attacking other passengers. These weren't human, but squirrels. The rodents boarded the Great Western Railway train and started exploring the train, reportedly attacking passengers in the process.

A train to Gatwick Airport had to be cancelled because of two unexpected passengers who started attacking other passengers. These weren't human, but squirrels. The rodents boarded the Great Western Railway train and started exploring the train, reportedly attacking passengers in the process. The squirrels caused “pandemonium” while the conductor tried to stop them from entering the other carriages of the train. They got on the train at 9.47 am during a halt at the Surrey village of Gomshall. They got on a rear carriage and quickly started making their way forward. As soon as the passengers noticed them, they started shrieking and running away from them. One of the persons who witnessed the incident told The Sun, “It was complete pandemonium. The squirrels got into the rear carriage and attacked people." Calling the squirrel attack "a new one", the person said that people deboarded the train and got into another carriage. "The conductor then had to lock the doors to stop the squirrels moving up the train," they said. After reaching the Redhill train station, the staff reportedly tried to remove the rodents. They used broomsticks to get rid of the squirrels and even enticed them using peanuts, but nothing worked. Ticketless squirrels breached railway 'byeclaws' Ultimately, officials were left with no choice but to terminate the service. It then returned to Reading, its origin station. A spokesman for GWR confirmed the cancellation but didn't ignore the humour in the situation. "We can confirm that the 08.54 Reading to Gatwick was terminated at Redhill after a couple of squirrels boarded the train at Gomshall without tickets, breaching railway byeclaws," he said. “We attempted to remove them at Redhill, but one refused to leave and was returned to Reading to bring an end to this nutty tail.” Since the train connects passengers to the Gatwick Airport, several of them also faced the risk of missing their flights.

Squirrels board Gatwick train, 'attack' passengers, forcing its cancellation

Passengers on a British airline got a massive scare mid-air when a drunk passenger tried to enter the cockpit. An easyJet flight headed to the Greek party island of Kos was forced to make an emergency landing on Tuesday after horror unfolded at 30,000 feet in the air.

The passenger fought with the crew and broke the in-flight intercom. The Sun reported that he also tried to open one of the exit doors to try and "get off&nbsp;mid-air".

The crew and other fellow travellers managed to stop him from opening the cockpit and the exit doors and restrained him. He was later arrested upon landing. Photos showed him lying on the foot of the aircraft on the tarmac.

The incident happened on an Airbus A320 after it experienced turbulence. The drunk man started fighting with the crew, calling the pilot "rubbish". He made a dash for the cockpit saying that he was taking over the controls. People watched in horror as he created commotion inside the airplane.

The crew pinned the drunk man to the floor of the aircraft as people cheered them on. The flight was then diverted to Munich, Germany, where emergency services and police were waiting for the unruly passenger on the tarmac where he was arrested and taken away in handcuffs.&nbsp;

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<h2>Angry passengers spend night in Munich&nbsp;</h2>

Social media videos showed the man being removed from the airplane as other passengers jeered and one of them shouted "get off you loser."&nbsp;

Some passengers said that he was seen drinking a lot of whiskey before and during the flight. “The man was so drunk and there was rising anger at how he was allowed to board the plane so clearly sozzled, let alone continue drinking," one of the passengers told The Sun.

“He was seen necking what looked like whiskey from a glass bottle on the plane. How was this allowed to happen?”

Upset holidaymakers spent the night a local hotels. They were later waiting for a connecting flight to Greece.&nbsp;

EasyJet said in a statement, "While such incidents are rare, we do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour.” 
&nbsp;

Passengers on a British airline got a massive scare mid-air when a drunk passenger tried to enter the cockpit. An easyJet flight headed to the Greek party island of Kos was forced to make an emergency landing on Tuesday after horror unfolded at 30,000 feet in the air.

Passengers on a British airline got a massive scare mid-air when a drunk passenger tried to enter the cockpit. An easyJet flight headed to the Greek party island of Kos was forced to make an emergency landing on Tuesday after horror unfolded at 30,000 feet in the air. The passenger fought with the crew and broke the in-flight intercom. The Sun reported that he also tried to open one of the exit doors to try and "get off mid-air". The crew and other fellow travellers managed to stop him from opening the cockpit and the exit doors and restrained him. He was later arrested upon landing. Photos showed him lying on the foot of the aircraft on the tarmac. The incident happened on an Airbus A320 after it experienced turbulence. The drunk man started fighting with the crew, calling the pilot "rubbish". He made a dash for the cockpit saying that he was taking over the controls. People watched in horror as he created commotion inside the airplane. The crew pinned the drunk man to the floor of the aircraft as people cheered them on. The flight was then diverted to Munich, Germany, where emergency services and police were waiting for the unruly passenger on the tarmac where he was arrested and taken away in handcuffs. Also read: Ex-South African president Zuma's daughter to marry polygamous king and become his 16th wife Angry passengers spend night in Munich Social media videos showed the man being removed from the airplane as other passengers jeered and one of them shouted "get off you loser." Some passengers said that he was seen drinking a lot of whiskey before and during the flight. “The man was so drunk and there was rising anger at how he was allowed to board the plane so clearly sozzled, let alone continue drinking," one of the passengers told The Sun. “He was seen necking what looked like whiskey from a glass bottle on the plane. How was this allowed to happen?” Upset holidaymakers spent the night a local hotels. They were later waiting for a connecting flight to Greece. EasyJet said in a statement, "While such incidents are rare, we do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour.”

Drunk passenger tries to enter cockpit mid-air, says 'I will take the controls'

Staff shortage caused by a Covid outbreak has forced London’s second-busiest Gatwick Airport to cancel scores of flights and limit operations till Sunday.

Around 30 per cent of the staff of air traffic control is not working as they are down with Covid infection.

In a statement late Monday, the airport said a daily 800-flight limit, including both arrivals and departures, has been imposed until Sunday.

It said the daily cap will prevent last-minute cancellations and delays for passengers while National Air Traffic Services (NATS) gets back to normal.

The airport’s chief executive, Stewart Wingate, said the decision “means we can prevent as much disruptions as possible.”

<h2>Passengers affected&nbsp;</h2>

“The reason that we are doing this is to provide as much certainty as we can, not only to the airlines but most importantly to the passengers who will travel this week, that the flights that remain scheduled will actually operate," Wingate said.

Around 33 departure flights stand cancelled—the largest ever—for Friday (Sept 29), it added.

NATS issued an apology to passengers saying that the decision was taken due to a variety of medical reasons and that it can't manage the normal flows in and out of the airport.

Among the affected airlines include Easyjet, BA and Ryanair

<h2>Airline operators seek improvement&nbsp;</h2>

Johan Lundgren, chief executive officer of EasyJet said that it is "regrettable that a temporary limit on capacity at Gatwick Airport is required".

It is “the right action by the airport so on-the-day cancellations and delays can be avoided”, he said, adding that Gatwick Airport needs to work on a longer-term plan to improve the resilience of the air traffic service.

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Though the COVID-19-related restrictions in Britain were lifted last year, people are advised to stay away from work if they have tested positive for the virus.

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It comes weeks after NATS witnessed a massive data glitch, triggering widespread disruption of airlines and leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

The British aviation regulator is yet to launch a probe to determine why the country's air traffic control system suddenly collapsed.

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Staff shortage caused by a Covid outbreak has forced London’s second-busiest Gatwick Airport to cancel scores of flights and limit operations till Sunday. Around 30 per cent of the staff of air traffic control is not working as they are down with Covid infection.

Staff shortage caused by a Covid outbreak has forced London’s second-busiest Gatwick Airport to cancel scores of flights and limit operations till Sunday. Around 30 per cent of the staff of air traffic control is not working as they are down with Covid infection. In a statement late Monday, the airport said a daily 800-flight limit, including both arrivals and departures, has been imposed until Sunday. It said the daily cap will prevent last-minute cancellations and delays for passengers while National Air Traffic Services (NATS) gets back to normal. The airport’s chief executive, Stewart Wingate, said the decision “means we can prevent as much disruptions as possible.” Passengers affected “The reason that we are doing this is to provide as much certainty as we can, not only to the airlines but most importantly to the passengers who will travel this week, that the flights that remain scheduled will actually operate," Wingate said. Around 33 departure flights stand cancelled—the largest ever—for Friday (Sept 29), it added. NATS issued an apology to passengers saying that the decision was taken due to a variety of medical reasons and that it can't manage the normal flows in and out of the airport. Among the affected airlines include Easyjet, BA and Ryanair Airline operators seek improvement Johan Lundgren, chief executive officer of EasyJet said that it is "regrettable that a temporary limit on capacity at Gatwick Airport is required". It is “the right action by the airport so on-the-day cancellations and delays can be avoided”, he said, adding that Gatwick Airport needs to work on a longer-term plan to improve the resilience of the air traffic service. Also read | Poland education minister working to extradite Nazi veteran honoured in Canadian Parliament Though the COVID-19-related restrictions in Britain were lifted last year, people are advised to stay away from work if they have tested positive for the virus. Also read | Canadian enforcement officials deny report over delay in Nijjar death probe It comes weeks after NATS witnessed a massive data glitch, triggering widespread disruption of airlines and leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The British aviation regulator is yet to launch a probe to determine why the country's air traffic control system suddenly collapsed. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

London’s second-busiest Gatwick Airport limits flight operations due to Covid outbreak

London's Gatwick Airport said on Monday (September 25) that it cancelled over 160 flights until Sunday (October 1) due to an exceptional shortage of controllers, partly caused by the Covid pandemic.

London's Gatwick Airport said on Monday (September 25) that it cancelled over 160 flights until Sunday (October 1) due to an exceptional shortage of controllers, partly caused by the Covid pandemic. In a statement, Gatwick Airport said that until Sunday, flights will be limited to 800 per day, adding the decision had been taken in agreement with NATS, Britain's air traffic control service. This ceiling "will prevent last-minute cancellations and delays for passengers while NATS work through challenges driven by sickness and staffing constraints", the statement added. The statement also said that around 30 per cent of controllers were unavailable for a variety of medical reasons, including Covid. 'A difficult decision but...' Stewart Wingate, director of London Gatwick, said on Monday that the cancellation of flights was a difficult decision but the action taken meant the airlines could fly reliable flight programmes, which gave passengers more certainty that they would not face last-minute cancellations. Wingate said he received repeated assurances from NATS after temporary air traffic control restrictions were put in place at the airport earlier this month, but the situation was not improving. Meanwhile, a NATS spokesperson told The Guardian, "Given the levels of sickness we have experienced over the last few weeks, we believe it is the responsible thing to do to limit the number of flights this week in order to reduce the risk of daily disruption to passengers using the airport.” The spokesperson added that the air traffic control service was training and recruiting as fast as possible but pointed out that even experienced air traffic controllers take at least nine months to qualify at Gatwick. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

UK: London airport cancels over 160 flights over air traffic control shortage

Thousands of passengers faced diversions, delays and even cancellations at Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom after a "short-notice staff absence" led to disruption on Thursday (September 14).&nbsp;

The shortage of air traffic controllers led to 22 cancellations as of 10:00pm (BST), Gatwick confirmed. According to the website FlightRadar24, hundreds of flights were delayed. The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) was sorry over its staffing shortages and Gatwick Airport said it expected a normal service on Friday.&nbsp;

People were impacted due to the staff issue as some flights of the travellers were from far away places. As quoted by EURO News, one passenger said on social media platform X that they had "landed at Heathrow airport, supposed to go Gatwick" and were stuck on the runway for an hour after landing, without any information.&nbsp;

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One passenger complained on X, formerly known as Twitter, that they had "landed at Heathrow airport, supposed to go Gatwick" and had been stuck on the runway for an hour after landing.&nbsp;

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary asked the NATS boss to step down and the EasyJet was angry over the delays and cancellations. As quoted by UK media outlets, O'Leary said: "It is unacceptable that more flights and hundreds of passengers are suffering delays to/from Gatwick Airport due to Nats CEO, Martin Rolfe's blatant failure to adequately staff UK ATC."

"Airlines are paying millions of pounds to Nats each and every year and should not have to see their passengers suffer avoidable delays due to UK ATC staff shortages," O'Leary added.&nbsp;

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Watch:&nbsp;Indigo to build tool that tests fatigue among pilots; working with Thales on the tool&nbsp;

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<h2>Recent issue with UK airspace&nbsp;</h2>

This comes just a few days after flights using UK airspace were delayed or cancelled for several hours towards the end of August 28 due to what Britain's NATS said was a technical issue that it had now identified and remedied. Around 2,000 flights are being cancelled across the UK.&nbsp;

NATS had earlier had to restrict the flow of aircraft and manually input flight plans after the issue affected its system's ability to automatically process flight plans, with airlines and airports warning of delays and cancellations across Europe.&nbsp;

During August's chaos, a spokesperson for London Heathrow said the airport was working with NATS and other airport partners to minimise the impact on passengers, while Gatwick, south of London, said it was seeing multiple delays and cancellations.&nbsp;

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Thousands of passengers faced diversions, delays and even cancellations at Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom after a "short-notice staff absence" led to disruption on Thursday (September 14).

Thousands of passengers faced diversions, delays and even cancellations at Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom after a "short-notice staff absence" led to disruption on Thursday (September 14). The shortage of air traffic controllers led to 22 cancellations as of 10:00pm (BST), Gatwick confirmed. According to the website FlightRadar24, hundreds of flights were delayed. The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) was sorry over its staffing shortages and Gatwick Airport said it expected a normal service on Friday. People were impacted due to the staff issue as some flights of the travellers were from far away places. As quoted by EURO News, one passenger said on social media platform X that they had "landed at Heathrow airport, supposed to go Gatwick" and were stuck on the runway for an hour after landing, without any information. Also read: European Union slaps TikTok with fine of $369mn over child data breaches One passenger complained on X, formerly known as Twitter, that they had "landed at Heathrow airport, supposed to go Gatwick" and had been stuck on the runway for an hour after landing. Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary asked the NATS boss to step down and the EasyJet was angry over the delays and cancellations. As quoted by UK media outlets, O'Leary said: "It is unacceptable that more flights and hundreds of passengers are suffering delays to/from Gatwick Airport due to Nats CEO, Martin Rolfe's blatant failure to adequately staff UK ATC." "Airlines are paying millions of pounds to Nats each and every year and should not have to see their passengers suffer avoidable delays due to UK ATC staff shortages," O'Leary added. Also read: UK PM Rishi Sunak vows action after man dies in dog attack, orders ban on American XL bully breed Watch: Indigo to build tool that tests fatigue among pilots; working with Thales on the tool × Recent issue with UK airspace This comes just a few days after flights using UK airspace were delayed or cancelled for several hours towards the end of August 28 due to what Britain's NATS said was a technical issue that it had now identified and remedied. Around 2,000 flights are being cancelled across the UK. NATS had earlier had to restrict the flow of aircraft and manually input flight plans after the issue affected its system's ability to automatically process flight plans, with airlines and airports warning of delays and cancellations across Europe. During August's chaos, a spokesperson for London Heathrow said the airport was working with NATS and other airport partners to minimise the impact on passengers, while Gatwick, south of London, said it was seeing multiple delays and cancellations. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Gatwick Airport: Short-notice staff absence caused diversions, delays, cancellations of flights

In the United Kingdom, the travel plans of thousands of travellers are set to be affected as nearly a thousand airport workers at Gatwick Airport in England strike over pay issues.

On Friday, the trade union Unite announced that almost a thousand airport workers at four firms will strike for a period of eight days, during what is slated to be the busiest summer period since the coronavirus pandemic.

<h2>The looming strike</h2>

Airport workers, including baggage handlers and ground staff, will begin the strike from Friday, July 28th. The first strike will last till Tuesday, August 1st. Following this, they will once again strike from Friday, August 4th to Tuesday, August 8th.

The strike will affect multiple airlines including the British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair, Tui, Westjet and Wizz, said the union.

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Around 950 airport workers working at four firms — ASC, Menzies Aviation, GGS and DHL Services — provide many services including baggage handling, ground handling and check-in work, to the above-mentioned major airlines.

<h2>How will it affect travel</h2>

As per Unite, disruptions, delays and cancellations were "inevitable". Right now, the strike is planned but can be avoided.

BBC reports that if it does go ahead, the strike will put pressure on the aviation industry as it deals with potential air traffic control strikes and restricted airspace over Ukraine due to the ongoing Ukraine war.

The union has been pushing for a pay rise for its members for months. In June, Unite had previously called off strike action by security staff at the Heathrow Airport which happens to be Britain's busiest airport, after securing a new deal.

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As per Unite, "despite undertaking highly demanding and safety critical roles" most of the workers are paid under £12 ($15.74) per hour.

Furthermore, during the pandemic, many companies at Gatwick Airport "made large-scale redundancies and cut the pay and conditions of their remaining staff."

<h2>Lasting issue: Other strikes by airport staff</h2>

From July 18th, around 100 airport security staff and technicians at the Birmingham Airport are set to walk off.

In Italy, an air traffic strike is planned to start July 15th, which Ryanair Airlines as per BBC said is expected to cause cancellations and disruptions.

(With inputs from agencies)

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In the United Kingdom, the travel plans of thousands of travellers are set to be affected as nearly a thousand airport workers at Gatwick Airport in England strike over pay issues.

In the United Kingdom, the travel plans of thousands of travellers are set to be affected as nearly a thousand airport workers at Gatwick Airport in England strike over pay issues. On Friday, the trade union Unite announced that almost a thousand airport workers at four firms will strike for a period of eight days, during what is slated to be the busiest summer period since the coronavirus pandemic. The looming strike Airport workers, including baggage handlers and ground staff, will begin the strike from Friday, July 28th. The first strike will last till Tuesday, August 1st. Following this, they will once again strike from Friday, August 4th to Tuesday, August 8th. The strike will affect multiple airlines including the British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair, Tui, Westjet and Wizz, said the union. Also read | Thousands of UK doctors begin ‘longest walkout’ in NHS history over pay issues Around 950 airport workers working at four firms — ASC, Menzies Aviation, GGS and DHL Services — provide many services including baggage handling, ground handling and check-in work, to the above-mentioned major airlines. How will it affect travel As per Unite, disruptions, delays and cancellations were "inevitable". Right now, the strike is planned but can be avoided. BBC reports that if it does go ahead, the strike will put pressure on the aviation industry as it deals with potential air traffic control strikes and restricted airspace over Ukraine due to the ongoing Ukraine war. The union has been pushing for a pay rise for its members for months. In June, Unite had previously called off strike action by security staff at the Heathrow Airport which happens to be Britain's busiest airport, after securing a new deal. Also read | SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee unanimously votes for strike as talks fail As per Unite, "despite undertaking highly demanding and safety critical roles" most of the workers are paid under £12 ($15.74) per hour. Furthermore, during the pandemic, many companies at Gatwick Airport "made large-scale redundancies and cut the pay and conditions of their remaining staff." Lasting issue: Other strikes by airport staff From July 18th, around 100 airport security staff and technicians at the Birmingham Airport are set to walk off. In Italy, an air traffic strike is planned to start July 15th, which Ryanair Airlines as per BBC said is expected to cause cancellations and disruptions. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

UK: Pay issues strike again, 950 ground workers at Gatwick airport set to stage eight-day protest

A man with restricted ability dies at the Gatwick airport in London while using an escalator inside the airport terminal without a helper. The man and his wife, both needed special assistance to disembark.

The airline said: “A number of our cabin crew provided medical assistance to a passenger at Gatwick airport while waiting for paramedics to arrive, however, the passenger sadly later passed away. Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this difficult time.”

As reported by The Guardian, a Gatwick airport spokesperson said the incident occurred while airport staff were helping to disembark three passengers with restricted mobility (PRM), adding that staff shortages played no role in the incident.

The spokesperson said: “This is a sad and tragic incident and our thoughts remain with the family of the deceased.

“A member of Wilson James staff was waiting when the aircraft arrived and was in the process of disembarking the three PRM passengers when the incident occurred. Staff shortages were not a factor in this incident as has been claimed. It is normal for one staff member to disembark three passengers who require assistance by taking them one at a time the short distance to the waiting buggy,” he added.

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A No 10 spokesperson said: “It’s obviously a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased in what is an incredibly sad time.”

A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “Emergency services were called to reports of a person having suffered a fall and injury at Gatwick North Terminal at approximately 12.50 pm on Wednesday.”

“Despite the efforts of the ambulance service and wider first responders, an 82-year-old man sadly died at the scene. His next of kin have been informed. The death is not being treated as suspicious. A report will be prepared for the coroner,” he added.

A formal investigation is currently underway.

(with inputs from agencies) 
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A man with restricted ability dies at the Gatwick airport in London while using an escalator inside the airport terminal without a helper. The man and his wife, both needed special assistance to disembark.

A man with restricted ability dies at the Gatwick airport in London while using an escalator inside the airport terminal without a helper. The man and his wife, both needed special assistance to disembark. The airline said: “A number of our cabin crew provided medical assistance to a passenger at Gatwick airport while waiting for paramedics to arrive, however, the passenger sadly later passed away. Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this difficult time.” As reported by The Guardian, a Gatwick airport spokesperson said the incident occurred while airport staff were helping to disembark three passengers with restricted mobility (PRM), adding that staff shortages played no role in the incident. The spokesperson said: “This is a sad and tragic incident and our thoughts remain with the family of the deceased. “A member of Wilson James staff was waiting when the aircraft arrived and was in the process of disembarking the three PRM passengers when the incident occurred. Staff shortages were not a factor in this incident as has been claimed. It is normal for one staff member to disembark three passengers who require assistance by taking them one at a time the short distance to the waiting buggy,” he added. Also Read: South Korean man builds grave for internet explorer, says it was a good tool to ‘download other browsers’ A No 10 spokesperson said: “It’s obviously a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased in what is an incredibly sad time.” A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “Emergency services were called to reports of a person having suffered a fall and injury at Gatwick North Terminal at approximately 12.50 pm on Wednesday.” “Despite the efforts of the ambulance service and wider first responders, an 82-year-old man sadly died at the scene. His next of kin have been informed. The death is not being treated as suspicious. A report will be prepared for the coroner,” he added. A formal investigation is currently underway. (with inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Man with disability dies at Gatwick airport in London

After Ciara, Storm Dennis batters Britain!

London police deployed Friday a sweeping security cordon around Heathrow Airport and made seven arrests to thwart <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-airways-says-almost-all-uk-flights-cancelled-over-strike-248557">climate activists</a>' efforts to shut down Europe's busiest travel hub using toy drones.

Campaigners from Heathrow Pause an offshoot of the Extinction Rebellion group backed by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg had hoped to disrupt the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-airways-pilots-ground-planes-in-unprecedented-48-hour-strike-248533">travel</a> plans of tens of thousands of passengers from across the world over the weekend.

But their first miniature device failed to take flight after receiving no signal from its hand-held remote control.

"They are jamming we can't get the signal," one campaigner said in a video posted on social media from what appeared to be the airport's outer edge.

"The passengers will be happy. We are not happy."

A London police spokesman refused to confirm or deny the use of jamming devices.

"We do not discuss security tactics," the spokesman told AFP.

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But the department said it was imposing a "dispersal order" under a criminal statute act covering "anti-social behaviour" in areas surrounding the airport's vast grounds through to Sunday morning.

'Not criminal'

The campaigners' official aim is to prevent the construction of a third Heathrow runway and to cut harmful gas emissions to a net level of zero by 2025.

Yet their chosen means of protest also points to the hazards drones of any size pose to airports long term.

Heathrow rules stipulate that it must temporarily close should a drone be spotted within its five-kilometer (three-mile) exclusion zone.

It was expected to make exceptions should this only involve miniature drones flying close to the ground and away from runways or flight paths the rules Heathrow Pause intends to keep.

"Like-minded citizens just know that what we are doing is not a criminal act," group member Sylvia Dell told AFP as she prepared to fly her own drone in the coming days.

The retired mother-of-four said she was stirred to action by a United Nations report warning governments in October that they had 12 years left to stop the earth from warming to dangerous levels.

"We're the fire alarm ringing in the middle of the night telling people to wake up, your house is on fire," Dell said.

'Public nuisance' 
Several still-unexplained drone sightings around Heathrow and London's Gatwick Airport shut them down for several days over the winter holidays.

The group's members have met airport representatives and the London police to arrange precautionary measures aimed at avoiding accidents.

They had hoped to fly the drones at head height at hourly intervals that could keep the airport closed continuously for up to five days.

"You need to make disruption painful before the authorities take notice," Dell said.

A Heathrow spokeswoman said on Friday that the airport remained "strongly committed" to addressing climate concerns.

"We agree with the need for climate change action but illegal protest activity designed with the intention of disrupting thousands of people is not the answer," she said.

London police announced the arrest of five men and two women on Thursday and Friday "on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a public nuisance".

Dell said she faced "years" in jail because of two prior arrests during an Extinction Rebellion protest that ground parts of London to a halt for more than a week in April.

"Prison is a terrifying prospect," she said.

But "I find the prospect of not acting and allowing the world to collapse that's more terrifying for me."

London police deployed Friday a sweeping security cordon around Heathrow Airport and made seven arrests to thwart climate activists' efforts to shut down Europe's busiest travel hub using toy drones.

London police deployed Friday a sweeping security cordon around Heathrow Airport and made seven arrests to thwart climate activists' efforts to shut down Europe's busiest travel hub using toy drones. Campaigners from Heathrow Pause an offshoot of the Extinction Rebellion group backed by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg had hoped to disrupt the travel plans of tens of thousands of passengers from across the world over the weekend. But their first miniature device failed to take flight after receiving no signal from its hand-held remote control. "They are jamming we can't get the signal," one campaigner said in a video posted on social media from what appeared to be the airport's outer edge. "The passengers will be happy. We are not happy." A London police spokesman refused to confirm or deny the use of jamming devices. "We do not discuss security tactics," the spokesman told AFP. × But the department said it was imposing a "dispersal order" under a criminal statute act covering "anti-social behaviour" in areas surrounding the airport's vast grounds through to Sunday morning. 'Not criminal' The campaigners' official aim is to prevent the construction of a third Heathrow runway and to cut harmful gas emissions to a net level of zero by 2025. Yet their chosen means of protest also points to the hazards drones of any size pose to airports long term. Heathrow rules stipulate that it must temporarily close should a drone be spotted within its five-kilometer (three-mile) exclusion zone. It was expected to make exceptions should this only involve miniature drones flying close to the ground and away from runways or flight paths the rules Heathrow Pause intends to keep. "Like-minded citizens just know that what we are doing is not a criminal act," group member Sylvia Dell told AFP as she prepared to fly her own drone in the coming days. The retired mother-of-four said she was stirred to action by a United Nations report warning governments in October that they had 12 years left to stop the earth from warming to dangerous levels. "We're the fire alarm ringing in the middle of the night telling people to wake up, your house is on fire," Dell said. 'Public nuisance' Several still-unexplained drone sightings around Heathrow and London's Gatwick Airport shut them down for several days over the winter holidays. The group's members have met airport representatives and the London police to arrange precautionary measures aimed at avoiding accidents. They had hoped to fly the drones at head height at hourly intervals that could keep the airport closed continuously for up to five days. "You need to make disruption painful before the authorities take notice," Dell said. A Heathrow spokeswoman said on Friday that the airport remained "strongly committed" to addressing climate concerns. "We agree with the need for climate change action but illegal protest activity designed with the intention of disrupting thousands of people is not the answer," she said. London police announced the arrest of five men and two women on Thursday and Friday "on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a public nuisance". Dell said she faced "years" in jail because of two prior arrests during an Extinction Rebellion protest that ground parts of London to a halt for more than a week in April. "Prison is a terrifying prospect," she said. But "I find the prospect of not acting and allowing the world to collapse that's more terrifying for me."

Police thwart climate activists' drone bid to close Heathrow

Climate-change activists who planned to disrupt Heathrow airport with drones were frustrated early on Friday as the devices failed to fly and Europe's biggest airport continued to operate as usual.

But the airport said that the attempted action was not impacting <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-airways-pilots-ground-planes-in-unprecedented-48-hour-strike-248533">flights</a>.

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"There's no disruption," a spokeswoman for Heathrow Airport said. "Runways and taxiways remain operational."

Police arrested two men at the airport on Friday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a public nuisance in relation to operations at the airport, and have established a dispersal zone around the airport for 48 hours. Five others were arrested on Thursday away from the airport on the same grounds.

Heathrow Pause said that authorities had used signal jamming to frustrate the early flights, posting a live stream of activists near the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-airways-says-almost-all-uk-flights-cancelled-over-strike-248557"> airport </a>on a Twitter feed.

"We've got a little technical glitch. The drone isn't flying," and unidentified campaigner says in the video, as another activist holds a drone in the air.

"Unfortunately at this time I don't have any specific updates what the next steps will be."

Earlier this week, police said they were confident the action would not lead to a repeat of the chaos seen at Gatwick last December, when drone sightings grounded planes in the run-up to Christmas.

But they warned that attempted disruption of the airport and flying drones without permission in the exclusion zone were serious crimes.

Heathrow Pause, a splinter group of the climate group Extinction Rebellion which disrupted London streets earlier this year and which is behind Friday's planned action, said it would fly the drones at no higher than head level and say they are not looking to endanger life.

Climate-change activists who planned to disrupt Heathrow airport with drones were frustrated early on Friday as the devices failed to fly and Europe's biggest airport continued to operate as usual.

Climate-change activists who planned to disrupt Heathrow airport with drones were frustrated early on Friday as the devices failed to fly and Europe's biggest airport continued to operate as usual. But the airport said that the attempted action was not impacting flights. Watch Video × "There's no disruption," a spokeswoman for Heathrow Airport said. "Runways and taxiways remain operational." Police arrested two men at the airport on Friday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a public nuisance in relation to operations at the airport, and have established a dispersal zone around the airport for 48 hours. Five others were arrested on Thursday away from the airport on the same grounds. Heathrow Pause said that authorities had used signal jamming to frustrate the early flights, posting a live stream of activists near the airport on a Twitter feed. "We've got a little technical glitch. The drone isn't flying," and unidentified campaigner says in the video, as another activist holds a drone in the air. "Unfortunately at this time I don't have any specific updates what the next steps will be." Earlier this week, police said they were confident the action would not lead to a repeat of the chaos seen at Gatwick last December, when drone sightings grounded planes in the run-up to Christmas. But they warned that attempted disruption of the airport and flying drones without permission in the exclusion zone were serious crimes. Heathrow Pause, a splinter group of the climate group Extinction Rebellion which disrupted London streets earlier this year and which is behind Friday's planned action, said it would fly the drones at no higher than head level and say they are not looking to endanger life.

Climate-change activists' plan to disrupt Heathrow with drones frustrated

Drone sightings have disrupted flights at Singapore's main airport for the second time in a week, authorities said, as the devices increasingly cause havoc for air traffic worldwide.

About 18 arrivals and departures were delayed and seven flights diverted at Changi Airport late Monday "due to bad weather and unauthorised drone activities", the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said.

The disruption lasted about an hour, it said.

Last week Changi, one of Asia's busiest hubs, closed one of its runways for short periods due to unauthorised drone flying, disrupting dozens of flights.&nbsp;

It is against the law in Singapore to fly a drone within five kilometres (three miles) of an airport without a permit.&nbsp;

Drones are increasingly disrupting flights at airports around the world. London's Gatwick was paralysed for 36 hours in December following repeated drone sightings, with tens of thousands of passengers affected.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Drone sightings have disrupted flights at Singapore's main airport for the second time in a week, authorities said, as the devices increasingly cause havoc for air traffic worldwide.

Drone sightings have disrupted flights at Singapore's main airport for the second time in a week, authorities said, as the devices increasingly cause havoc for air traffic worldwide. About 18 arrivals and departures were delayed and seven flights diverted at Changi Airport late Monday "due to bad weather and unauthorised drone activities", the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said. The disruption lasted about an hour, it said. Last week Changi, one of Asia's busiest hubs, closed one of its runways for short periods due to unauthorised drone flying, disrupting dozens of flights. It is against the law in Singapore to fly a drone within five kilometres (three miles) of an airport without a permit. Drones are increasingly disrupting flights at airports around the world. London's Gatwick was paralysed for 36 hours in December following repeated drone sightings, with tens of thousands of passengers affected.

Drone sightings disrupt Singapore flights for second time

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Flights from London's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/london-2-arrested-in-connection-with-gatwick-airport-drone-disruption-185743">Heathrow airport were halted</a> for about an hour on Tuesday after a drone was sighted near Europe's busiest air hub, raising fears that the chaos that affected rival Gatwick last month could be repeated on an even larger scale.

"We are responding to a drone<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/video-gatwick-airport-in-london-reopens-for-limited-flights-after-drone-scare-185635"> sighting at Heathrow," the airport</a> said. "As a precautionary measure, we have stopped departures while we investigate. We apologise to passengers for any inconvenience this may cause."

London's Metropolitan Police said they had received reports of a drone near the airport at about 1705 GMT on Tuesday, which they were investigating with airport authorities.

It said police officers were among those who reported seeing a drone and it had launched a full criminal investigation.

The airport confirmed about an hour later that take-offs had resumed. Flight tracker websites showed flights departing from 1811 GMT.

A witness in a plane on the runway at Heathrow said multiple aircraft were waiting for permission to take off before being later told that things were starting to move.

London's second busiest airport, Gatwick, was severely disrupted when drones were sighted on three consecutive days in December, resulting in about 1,000 flights being cancelled or diverted and affecting 140,000 passengers.

Gatwick's drone nightmare - the most disruptive yet at a major airport - exposed a new vulnerability that will be scrutinised by security forces, airlines and airport operators across the world.

The British army was forced to deploy military technology to guard the area around Gatwick, reassuring the airport that it was safe enough to fly.

Police said they were carrying out extensive searches around the Heathrow area to identify any people who may be responsible for the operation of the drone.

"We are deploying significant resources - both in terms of officers and equipment - to monitor the airspace around Heathrow and to quickly detect and disrupt any illegal drone activity; some of which are as a result of learning from the incidents at Gatwick," police commander Stuart Cundy said in a statement.

He said military assistance has been implemented after the sighting but he would not give any further details as it could undermine the effectiveness of the measures.

British Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said he had been in contact with Heathrow Airport concerning the drone sighting.

"I have already spoken to both the Home Secretary and Defence Secretary and the military are preparing to deploy the equipment used at Gatwick at Heathrow quickly should it prove necessary," he said.

Both airports responded to the Gatwick incident by ordering military-grade anti-drone technology.

Heathrow said it was working closely with authorities including the police and looking at relevant technology to combat the threat of drones. 
&nbsp;

Flights from London's Heathrow airport were halted for about an hour on Tuesday after a drone was sighted near Europe's busiest air hub, raising fears that the chaos that affected rival Gatwick last month could be repeated on an even larger scale.

Flights from London's Heathrow airport were halted for about an hour on Tuesday after a drone was sighted near Europe's busiest air hub, raising fears that the chaos that affected rival Gatwick last month could be repeated on an even larger scale. "We are responding to a drone sighting at Heathrow," the airport said. "As a precautionary measure, we have stopped departures while we investigate. We apologise to passengers for any inconvenience this may cause." London's Metropolitan Police said they had received reports of a drone near the airport at about 1705 GMT on Tuesday, which they were investigating with airport authorities. It said police officers were among those who reported seeing a drone and it had launched a full criminal investigation. The airport confirmed about an hour later that take-offs had resumed. Flight tracker websites showed flights departing from 1811 GMT. A witness in a plane on the runway at Heathrow said multiple aircraft were waiting for permission to take off before being later told that things were starting to move. London's second busiest airport, Gatwick, was severely disrupted when drones were sighted on three consecutive days in December, resulting in about 1,000 flights being cancelled or diverted and affecting 140,000 passengers. Gatwick's drone nightmare - the most disruptive yet at a major airport - exposed a new vulnerability that will be scrutinised by security forces, airlines and airport operators across the world. The British army was forced to deploy military technology to guard the area around Gatwick, reassuring the airport that it was safe enough to fly. Police said they were carrying out extensive searches around the Heathrow area to identify any people who may be responsible for the operation of the drone. "We are deploying significant resources - both in terms of officers and equipment - to monitor the airspace around Heathrow and to quickly detect and disrupt any illegal drone activity; some of which are as a result of learning from the incidents at Gatwick," police commander Stuart Cundy said in a statement. He said military assistance has been implemented after the sighting but he would not give any further details as it could undermine the effectiveness of the measures. British Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said he had been in contact with Heathrow Airport concerning the drone sighting. "I have already spoken to both the Home Secretary and Defence Secretary and the military are preparing to deploy the equipment used at Gatwick at Heathrow quickly should it prove necessary," he said. Both airports responded to the Gatwick incident by ordering military-grade anti-drone technology. Heathrow said it was working closely with authorities including the police and looking at relevant technology to combat the threat of drones.

Heathrow airport closed for 1 hour over drone sighting

French conglomerate Vinci said Thursday it had bought control of Gatwick airport, Britain's second-busiest, for nearly three billion pounds only months before Brexit.

Vinci said it will own a 50.01 per cent stake in Gatwick thanks to the deal worth £2.9 billion ($3.7 billion, 3.2 billion euros) by the end of June.

Gatwick made headlines last week when it closed its runway repeatedly due to reports of mystery drone sightings nearby, impacting nearly 140,000 passengers.

The French purchase of Gatwick, which is Europe's eight-biggest airport and runs the busiest single runway in the world, comes ahead of Britain's departure from the European Union on March 29.

The proximity of Brexit "probably helped us close the deal", Nicolas Notebaert, Vinci Airports chief, told a telephone conference.

The absence of a Brexit deal with the EU could cause major air travel problems as both sides would no longer recognise each other's aviation safety standards.

London and other EU capitals are, however, working on special permissions to allow European carriers to keep flying even if no overall air travel deal is struck by that date.

Best known for motorways

Vinci is best-known for being one of the world's biggest construction companies, employing close to 200,000 people across the globe, and for operating motorways in France.

But the company has also been buying up airports -- most recently in Brazil, Japan and Serbia -- making it "a top 5 global player in the international airport sector", according to a statement by Gatwick. One of its best-known airports is the hub of Portugal's capital Lisbon.

With the latest acquisition, Vinci Airports will control 46 airports in 12 countries with total traffic of 228 million passengers a year.

Gatwick, which in Britain is second only to Heathrow, will become the biggest airport in Vinci's portfolio, making the purchase "a major strategic move", the French company said.

"The transaction represents a rare opportunity to acquire an airport of such size and quality and fits extremely well with Vinci Concessions' long-term investment horizon," it said.

Gatwick's CEO Stewart Wingate said there would be no management or operational changes to the "immediate" running of the airport.

He said the deal would mean "continuity but also further investment for passengers".

A runway record

Global Infrastructure Partners, the current owners of Gatwick, will hold on to 49.99 per cent in the airport.

Gatwick's only runway hit a world record of 950 flights in a day in 2017, Vinci said.

"The airport constantly innovates in all areas of operations (for example passenger self-baggage drop, aircraft queuing systems, parking products) and reaches very high level of operational efficiency," it said.

Some 24,000 people work for Gatwick which is used by around 50 airlines and offers more domestic destinations than any other British airport.

Gatwick is also low-cost carrier EasyJet's biggest hub.

The British government in 2016 rejected a plan to build a second runway at Gatwick airport, which is situated south of London, opting instead for a third runway at Heathrow.

On Thursday, Gatwick said it had taken steps to protect the airport from disruptions like the one caused by drone sightings last week which created travel chaos for more than 120,000 people in the run-up to Christmas.

"I know this unprecedented criminal activity caused huge inconvenience to thousands of people," said Wingate.

"Gatwick itself has taken a number of important steps in recent days which will make a significant difference to the airport’s resilience," he said.

Stock market investors seemed to welcome the operation, with Vinci's share price rising 0.3 per cent to 70.72 euros in mid-afternoon Paris trading, outperforming the overall CAC-40 bourse index which was down 0.3 per cent at that time. 
&nbsp;

Vinci said it will own a 50.01 per cent stake in Gatwick thanks to the deal worth £2.9 billion ($3.7 billion, 3.2 billion euros) by the end of June.

French conglomerate Vinci said Thursday it had bought control of Gatwick airport, Britain's second-busiest, for nearly three billion pounds only months before Brexit. Vinci said it will own a 50.01 per cent stake in Gatwick thanks to the deal worth £2.9 billion ($3.7 billion, 3.2 billion euros) by the end of June. Gatwick made headlines last week when it closed its runway repeatedly due to reports of mystery drone sightings nearby, impacting nearly 140,000 passengers. The French purchase of Gatwick, which is Europe's eight-biggest airport and runs the busiest single runway in the world, comes ahead of Britain's departure from the European Union on March 29. The proximity of Brexit "probably helped us close the deal", Nicolas Notebaert, Vinci Airports chief, told a telephone conference. The absence of a Brexit deal with the EU could cause major air travel problems as both sides would no longer recognise each other's aviation safety standards. London and other EU capitals are, however, working on special permissions to allow European carriers to keep flying even if no overall air travel deal is struck by that date. Best known for motorways Vinci is best-known for being one of the world's biggest construction companies, employing close to 200,000 people across the globe, and for operating motorways in France. But the company has also been buying up airports -- most recently in Brazil, Japan and Serbia -- making it "a top 5 global player in the international airport sector", according to a statement by Gatwick. One of its best-known airports is the hub of Portugal's capital Lisbon. With the latest acquisition, Vinci Airports will control 46 airports in 12 countries with total traffic of 228 million passengers a year. Gatwick, which in Britain is second only to Heathrow, will become the biggest airport in Vinci's portfolio, making the purchase "a major strategic move", the French company said. "The transaction represents a rare opportunity to acquire an airport of such size and quality and fits extremely well with Vinci Concessions' long-term investment horizon," it said. Gatwick's CEO Stewart Wingate said there would be no management or operational changes to the "immediate" running of the airport. He said the deal would mean "continuity but also further investment for passengers". A runway record Global Infrastructure Partners, the current owners of Gatwick, will hold on to 49.99 per cent in the airport. Gatwick's only runway hit a world record of 950 flights in a day in 2017, Vinci said. "The airport constantly innovates in all areas of operations (for example passenger self-baggage drop, aircraft queuing systems, parking products) and reaches very high level of operational efficiency," it said. Some 24,000 people work for Gatwick which is used by around 50 airlines and offers more domestic destinations than any other British airport. Gatwick is also low-cost carrier EasyJet's biggest hub. The British government in 2016 rejected a plan to build a second runway at Gatwick airport, which is situated south of London, opting instead for a third runway at Heathrow. On Thursday, Gatwick said it had taken steps to protect the airport from disruptions like the one caused by drone sightings last week which created travel chaos for more than 120,000 people in the run-up to Christmas. "I know this unprecedented criminal activity caused huge inconvenience to thousands of people," said Wingate. "Gatwick itself has taken a number of important steps in recent days which will make a significant difference to the airport’s resilience," he said. Stock market investors seemed to welcome the operation, with Vinci's share price rising 0.3 per cent to 70.72 euros in mid-afternoon Paris trading, outperforming the overall CAC-40 bourse index which was down 0.3 per cent at that time.

London's Gatwick airport sold to French Vinci conglomerate

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/london-2-arrested-in-connection-with-gatwick-airport-drone-disruption-185743">Two persons, a man and woman arrested</a> in connection with the drone scare at London's Gatwick airport, were released without charge on Sunday, police said.

"Both people have fully co-operated with our enquiries and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick," Sussex Police detective chief superintendent Jason Tingley said in a statement.

Gatwick airport was partially opened on Friday morning for flight operations as thousands of passengers remained stranded in London during the Christmas holiday season.

Gatwick, situated in west London is Britain's second biggest airport after Heathrow. Flight activity was hit after two drones were spotted on Thursday leading the airport to be shutdown.&nbsp;

Flights were halted at 2103 GMT on Wednesday after two drones were spotted near the airfield.

Flying drones within the 1 km airport boundary is illegal in Britain, punishable by five years in prison. Police officals had said on Thursday that it was a deliberate attempt by someone to fly the drones as it shutdown the airport.

(With inputs from AFP)

Two persons, a man and woman arrested in connection with the drone scare at London's Gatwick airport, were released without charge on Sunday, police said. "Both people have fully co-operated with our enquiries and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick," Sussex Police detective chief superintendent Jason Tingley said in a statement.

Two persons, a man and woman arrested in connection with the drone scare at London's Gatwick airport, were released without charge on Sunday, police said. "Both people have fully co-operated with our enquiries and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick," Sussex Police detective chief superintendent Jason Tingley said in a statement. Gatwick airport was partially opened on Friday morning for flight operations as thousands of passengers remained stranded in London during the Christmas holiday season. Gatwick, situated in west London is Britain's second biggest airport after Heathrow. Flight activity was hit after two drones were spotted on Thursday leading the airport to be shutdown. Flights were halted at 2103 GMT on Wednesday after two drones were spotted near the airfield. Flying drones within the 1 km airport boundary is illegal in Britain, punishable by five years in prison. Police officals had said on Thursday that it was a deliberate attempt by someone to fly the drones as it shutdown the airport. (With inputs from AFP)

Gatwick airport drone probe: Arrested pair released without any charge

Drone scare forces Gatwick airport to shut again

Two persons have been arrested&nbsp;in connection with the drone scare at London' Gatwick airport which caused major disruption for commuters; news agency AFP reported.

According to a media report, the arrested were made over the "criminal use of drones".

"As part of our ongoing investigations into the criminal use of drones which has severely disrupted flights in and out of Gatwick Airport, Sussex Police made two arrests just after 10:00 pm (2200 GMT) on December 21", AFP quoted the force's Superintendent James Collis as saying.

London's&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/video-gatwick-airport-in-london-reopens-for-limited-flights-after-drone-scare-185635">Gatwick Airport reopened</a>&nbsp;on Friday after a mystery saboteur wrought 36 hours of travel chaos for more than 100,000 Christmas travellers by using drones to play cat-and-mouse with police snipers and the army.

The motivation of the drone operator, or operators, was unclear. Police said there was nothing to suggest the crippling of one of Europe's busiest airports was a terrorist attack.

After the biggest disruption at Gatwick, Britain's second busiest airport, since a volcanic ash cloud in 2010, Gatwick said around 700 planes were due to take off on Friday, although there would still be delays and cancellations.

The airport briefly closed again on Friday to investigate a new drone sighting but was soon operating as normal.

"Flights have resumed," a spokeswoman said. "The military measures we have in place at the airport have provided us with reassurance necessary to re-open our airfield."

Britain deployed unidentified military technology to guard the airport against what transport minister Chris Grayling said were thought to be several drones. "This kind of incident is unprecedented anywhere in the world," he said.

Gatwick's drone nightmare is thought to be the most disruptive yet at a major airport and indicates a new vulnerability that will be scrutinised by security forces and airport operators across the world.

The army and police snipers were called in to hunt down the drones, thought to be an industrial-style craft, which flew near the airport every time authorities tried to reopen it on Thursday.

(With inputs from news agencies)

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the drone scare at London' Gatwick airport which caused major disruption for commuters; news agency AFP reported.

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the drone scare at London' Gatwick airport which caused major disruption for commuters; news agency AFP reported. According to a media report, the arrested were made over the "criminal use of drones". "As part of our ongoing investigations into the criminal use of drones which has severely disrupted flights in and out of Gatwick Airport, Sussex Police made two arrests just after 10:00 pm (2200 GMT) on December 21", AFP quoted the force's Superintendent James Collis as saying. London's Gatwick Airport reopened on Friday after a mystery saboteur wrought 36 hours of travel chaos for more than 100,000 Christmas travellers by using drones to play cat-and-mouse with police snipers and the army. The motivation of the drone operator, or operators, was unclear. Police said there was nothing to suggest the crippling of one of Europe's busiest airports was a terrorist attack. After the biggest disruption at Gatwick, Britain's second busiest airport, since a volcanic ash cloud in 2010, Gatwick said around 700 planes were due to take off on Friday, although there would still be delays and cancellations. The airport briefly closed again on Friday to investigate a new drone sighting but was soon operating as normal. "Flights have resumed," a spokeswoman said. "The military measures we have in place at the airport have provided us with reassurance necessary to re-open our airfield." Britain deployed unidentified military technology to guard the airport against what transport minister Chris Grayling said were thought to be several drones. "This kind of incident is unprecedented anywhere in the world," he said. Gatwick's drone nightmare is thought to be the most disruptive yet at a major airport and indicates a new vulnerability that will be scrutinised by security forces and airport operators across the world. The army and police snipers were called in to hunt down the drones, thought to be an industrial-style craft, which flew near the airport every time authorities tried to reopen it on Thursday. (With inputs from news agencies)

London: 2 arrested in connection with Gatwick airport drone disruption

London's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/video-gatwick-airport-in-london-reopens-for-limited-flights-after-drone-scare-185635">Gatwick Airport reopened</a> on Friday after a mystery saboteur wrought 36 hours of travel chaos for more than 100,000 Christmas travellers by using drones to play cat-and-mouse with police snipers and the army.

After the biggest disruption at Gatwick, Britain's second busiest airport, since a volcanic ash cloud in 2010, Gatwick said around 700 planes were due to take off on Friday, although there would still be delays and cancellations.

The airport briefly closed again on Friday to investigate a new drone sighting but was soon operating as normal.

"Flights have resumed," a spokeswoman said. "The military measures we have in place at the airport have provided us with reassurance necessary to re-open our airfield."

Britain deployed unidentified military technology to guard the airport against what transport minister Chris Grayling said were thought to be several drones. "This kind of incident is unprecedented anywhere in the world," he said.

The motivation of the drone operator, or operators, was unclear. Police said there was nothing to suggest the crippling of one of Europe's busiest airports was a terrorist attack.

Gatwick's drone nightmare is thought to be the most disruptive yet at a major airport and indicates a new vulnerability that will be scrutinised by security forces and airport operators across the world.

The army and police snipers were called in to hunt down the drones, thought to be an industrial-style craft, which flew near the airport every time authorities tried to reopen it on Thursday.

The perpetrator has not yet been detained but the police said they had a number of possible suspects. No group has claimed responsibility publicly and police said there was no evidence another state was involved.

Sussex Police Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry said they were keeping an open mind about who was responsible.

"In terms of the motivation, there's a whole spectrum of possibilities, from the really high-end criminal behaviour that we've seen, all the way down to potentially, just individuals trying to be malicious, trying to disrupt the airport," he said.

After a boom in sales, unmanned aerial vehicles have become a growing menace at airports across the world. In Britain, the number of near misses between private drones and aircraft more than tripled between 2015 and 2017, with 92 incidents recorded last year.

Thermal imaging?

The British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) said it understood "detection and tracking equipment" had been installed around Gatwick's perimeter.

BALPA said that it was extremely concerned at the risk of a drone collision. Flying drones within 1 km (0.6 mile) of a British airport boundary is punishable by five years in prison.

The defence ministry refused to comment on what technology was deployed but drone experts said airports needed to deploy specialist radar reinforced by thermal imaging technology to detect such unmanned flying vehicles.

Other ways to tackle them is typically by frequency jamming that can disable or disrupt control signals and the GPS signals that allow the drones to navigate.

The drone sightings caused misery for travellers, many sleeping on the airport floor as they searched for alternative routes to holidays and Christmas family gatherings.

Flights were halted at 2103 GMT on Wednesday after two drones were spotted near the airport. The disruption affected at least 120,000 people on Wednesday and Thursday but flights were restarted at 0614 GMT on Friday.

At 1740 GMT flights were suspended again but restarted in less than an hour.

It was not immediately clear what the financial impact would be on the main airlines operating from Gatwick including easyJet, British Airways&nbsp;and Norwegian.

Britain's Civil Aviation Authority said it considered the event to be an "extraordinary circumstance" meaning airlines are not obliged to pay compensation to affected passengers.

Airlines will have to refund customers who no longer wish to travel, however, and try to reschedule flights to get passengers to their destinations.

Some airport staff handed out chocolate and Christmas elf toys to stranded passengers.

Some, like Sarah Garghan-Watson, chose to stick it out at the airport overnight, having arrived at 8 a.m. on Thursday.

"It's now 2 o'clock in the morning at Gatwick, and it's very bright and very noisy. It's now also very cold," she said in a video shown on Sky.

"All I can see tonight ... is a sign that says 'no more sleeps until the beach'. And here we are, sleeping, in the stairs at Gatwick, because there's no flights."

London's Gatwick Airport reopened on Friday after a mystery saboteur wrought 36 hours of travel chaos for more than 100,000 Christmas travellers by using drones to play cat-and-mouse with police snipers and the army.

London's Gatwick Airport reopened on Friday after a mystery saboteur wrought 36 hours of travel chaos for more than 100,000 Christmas travellers by using drones to play cat-and-mouse with police snipers and the army. After the biggest disruption at Gatwick, Britain's second busiest airport, since a volcanic ash cloud in 2010, Gatwick said around 700 planes were due to take off on Friday, although there would still be delays and cancellations. The airport briefly closed again on Friday to investigate a new drone sighting but was soon operating as normal. "Flights have resumed," a spokeswoman said. "The military measures we have in place at the airport have provided us with reassurance necessary to re-open our airfield." Britain deployed unidentified military technology to guard the airport against what transport minister Chris Grayling said were thought to be several drones. "This kind of incident is unprecedented anywhere in the world," he said. The motivation of the drone operator, or operators, was unclear. Police said there was nothing to suggest the crippling of one of Europe's busiest airports was a terrorist attack. Gatwick's drone nightmare is thought to be the most disruptive yet at a major airport and indicates a new vulnerability that will be scrutinised by security forces and airport operators across the world. The army and police snipers were called in to hunt down the drones, thought to be an industrial-style craft, which flew near the airport every time authorities tried to reopen it on Thursday. The perpetrator has not yet been detained but the police said they had a number of possible suspects. No group has claimed responsibility publicly and police said there was no evidence another state was involved. Sussex Police Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry said they were keeping an open mind about who was responsible. "In terms of the motivation, there's a whole spectrum of possibilities, from the really high-end criminal behaviour that we've seen, all the way down to potentially, just individuals trying to be malicious, trying to disrupt the airport," he said. After a boom in sales, unmanned aerial vehicles have become a growing menace at airports across the world. In Britain, the number of near misses between private drones and aircraft more than tripled between 2015 and 2017, with 92 incidents recorded last year. Thermal imaging? The British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) said it understood "detection and tracking equipment" had been installed around Gatwick's perimeter. BALPA said that it was extremely concerned at the risk of a drone collision. Flying drones within 1 km (0.6 mile) of a British airport boundary is punishable by five years in prison. The defence ministry refused to comment on what technology was deployed but drone experts said airports needed to deploy specialist radar reinforced by thermal imaging technology to detect such unmanned flying vehicles. Other ways to tackle them is typically by frequency jamming that can disable or disrupt control signals and the GPS signals that allow the drones to navigate. The drone sightings caused misery for travellers, many sleeping on the airport floor as they searched for alternative routes to holidays and Christmas family gatherings. Flights were halted at 2103 GMT on Wednesday after two drones were spotted near the airport. The disruption affected at least 120,000 people on Wednesday and Thursday but flights were restarted at 0614 GMT on Friday. At 1740 GMT flights were suspended again but restarted in less than an hour. It was not immediately clear what the financial impact would be on the main airlines operating from Gatwick including easyJet, British Airways and Norwegian. Britain's Civil Aviation Authority said it considered the event to be an "extraordinary circumstance" meaning airlines are not obliged to pay compensation to affected passengers. Airlines will have to refund customers who no longer wish to travel, however, and try to reschedule flights to get passengers to their destinations. Some airport staff handed out chocolate and Christmas elf toys to stranded passengers. Some, like Sarah Garghan-Watson, chose to stick it out at the airport overnight, having arrived at 8 a.m. on Thursday. "It's now 2 o'clock in the morning at Gatwick, and it's very bright and very noisy. It's now also very cold," she said in a video shown on Sky. "All I can see tonight ... is a sign that says 'no more sleeps until the beach'. And here we are, sleeping, in the stairs at Gatwick, because there's no flights."

London's Gatwick airport reopens again after drones sow travel chaos

Drones paralyse Gatwick airport, grounding Christmas travellers

Gatwick airport reopens after 32 hours

Gatwick authorities on Friday morning <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/army-joins-drone-hunt-after-london-airport-shutdown-185599">partially opened the airport </a>for flight operations as thousands of passengers remained stranded in London during the Christmas holiday season.

Gatwick, situated in west London is <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/police-powers-may-be-increased-to-combat-drones-uk-pm-may-185603">Britain's second biggest airport </a>after Heathrow. Flight activity&nbsp;was hit after two drones were spotted on Thursday leading the airport to be shutdown. Flights were halted at 2103 GMT on Wednesday after two drones were spotted near the airfield.

"Gatwick’s runway is currently available and a limited number of aircraft are scheduled for departure and arrival," the airport said.

"Gatwick continues to advise passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport as departures and arrivals will be subject to delays and cancellations," the announcement added.

PM Theresa May on Thursday had called in the British Army to hunt down the person responsibile for the drone incident while indicating that police powers may be increased to combat the "illegal" drone acitivity in the airport.

Flying drones within the 1 km &nbsp;airport boundary is illegal in Britain, punishable by five years in prison. Police officals had said on Thursday that it was a deliberate attempt by someone to fly the drones as it shutdown the airport.

Gatwick's Chief Operating Officer Chris Woodroofe had said that one of the drones was a "heavy industrial drone".

At least 20,000 passengers faced travel disruption as authorities struggled to contain the crisis.

Gatwick authorities on Friday morning partially opened the airport for flight operations as thousands of passengers remained stranded in London during the Christmas holiday season.

Gatwick authorities on Friday morning partially opened the airport for flight operations as thousands of passengers remained stranded in London during the Christmas holiday season. Gatwick, situated in west London is Britain's second biggest airport after Heathrow. Flight activity was hit after two drones were spotted on Thursday leading the airport to be shutdown. Flights were halted at 2103 GMT on Wednesday after two drones were spotted near the airfield. "Gatwick’s runway is currently available and a limited number of aircraft are scheduled for departure and arrival," the airport said. "Gatwick continues to advise passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport as departures and arrivals will be subject to delays and cancellations," the announcement added. PM Theresa May on Thursday had called in the British Army to hunt down the person responsibile for the drone incident while indicating that police powers may be increased to combat the "illegal" drone acitivity in the airport. Flying drones within the 1 km airport boundary is illegal in Britain, punishable by five years in prison. Police officals had said on Thursday that it was a deliberate attempt by someone to fly the drones as it shutdown the airport. Gatwick's Chief Operating Officer Chris Woodroofe had said that one of the drones was a "heavy industrial drone". At least 20,000 passengers faced travel disruption as authorities struggled to contain the crisis.

Video: Gatwick airport in London reopens for limited flights after drone scare

Passengers still stranded as UK's Gatwick Airport prepares to reopen runway

A major international airport in Britain was forced to ground flights after reports of drones flying over the airfield, the airport said Thursday.

Flights into Gatwick Airport, south of London, were diverted to other cities across the country while passengers waiting to take off faced long delays just days ahead of Christmas, the UK's Press Association news agency reported.

"Following reports of two drones flying over the Gatwick Airport airfield we have had to suspend flights while this is investigated," Gatwick Airport said in a statement late Wednesday night.

"We apologise to any affected passengers for this inconvenience but the safety of our passengers is our foremost priority."

The runway has since reopened but passengers continue to face delays while airlines "catch up on the flight schedule", the airport said Thursday morning.&nbsp;

Sussex Police was investigating the incident, it added.

Gatwick is the eighth-busiest airport in Europe and sits behind Mumbai as the world's busiest single-runway air hub.

It serves more than 228 destinations in 74 countries for 45 million passengers a year.&nbsp;

Under British legislation, drones cannot be flown near aircraft or airports, or at an altitude of over 400 feet (122 metres).

A major international airport in Britain was forced to ground flights after reports of drones flying over the airfield, the airport said Thursday. Flights into Gatwick Airport, south of London, were diverted to other cities across the country while passengers waiting to take off faced long delays just days ahead of Christmas, the UK's Press Association news agency reported.

A major international airport in Britain was forced to ground flights after reports of drones flying over the airfield, the airport said Thursday. Flights into Gatwick Airport, south of London, were diverted to other cities across the country while passengers waiting to take off faced long delays just days ahead of Christmas, the UK's Press Association news agency reported. "Following reports of two drones flying over the Gatwick Airport airfield we have had to suspend flights while this is investigated," Gatwick Airport said in a statement late Wednesday night. "We apologise to any affected passengers for this inconvenience but the safety of our passengers is our foremost priority." The runway has since reopened but passengers continue to face delays while airlines "catch up on the flight schedule", the airport said Thursday morning. Sussex Police was investigating the incident, it added. Gatwick is the eighth-busiest airport in Europe and sits behind Mumbai as the world's busiest single-runway air hub. It serves more than 228 destinations in 74 countries for 45 million passengers a year. Under British legislation, drones cannot be flown near aircraft or airports, or at an altitude of over 400 feet (122 metres).

Flights grounded at Britain's Gatwick airport over drone sighting

One of the busiest airports in the country, Mumbai airport broke its own record on Sunday after it handled 980 flights in 24 hours.

Earlier record was handling of 974 flights in December 2017.

Mumbai airport struggles with lack of space due to which several time flights are either diverted or are sent to Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

This record of Mumbai airport is being compared to London&#39;s Gatwick airport which handles 870 flights per day.

UK&#39;s Gatwick airport is the second largest airport and the most efficient single-runway airport in the world.

According to reports, Gatwick single-runway airport has handled about the capacity of 55 flights in an hour, while Mumbai has touched 52 movements in an hour.&nbsp;

Earlier Airport made a record of handling 974 flights in December 2017

One of the busiest airports in the country, Mumbai airport broke its own record on Sunday after it handled 980 flights in 24 hours. Earlier record was handling of 974 flights in December 2017. Mumbai airport struggles with lack of space due to which several time flights are either diverted or are sent to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. This record of Mumbai airport is being compared to London's Gatwick airport which handles 870 flights per day. UK's Gatwick airport is the second largest airport and the most efficient single-runway airport in the world. According to reports, Gatwick single-runway airport has handled about the capacity of 55 flights in an hour, while Mumbai has touched 52 movements in an hour.

Mumbai airport breaks its own record, handles 980 flights in a day

Mumbai&#39;s Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport made a world record of handling 969 flights in 24-hours, for single-runway operations, On Saturday.&nbsp;

They further aim&nbsp;to reach 1,000 aircraft movements in the near future, media reports said.

The record was achieved between 5.30 am on Friday and 5.30 am on Saturday, media reports said.

Even though the Mumbai airport has two runways, the airport only operates one runway at a time since they cross each other, putting it in the single-runway category with London&#39;s Gatwick and Istanbul&#39;s Sabiha Gokcen airport.&nbsp;

Reports state that Mumbai operates over 900 airlines per day and handles around 46 take-offs and departures on an hour, making it one of the busiest airports in the world.&nbsp;

Mumbai is reported to have handled as many as 969 flights in a 24-hour period, a world record for an airport that operates only one runway at any given point of time

Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport made a world record of handling 969 flights in 24-hours, for single-runway operations, On Saturday. They further aim to reach 1,000 aircraft movements in the near future, media reports said. The record was achieved between 5.30 am on Friday and 5.30 am on Saturday, media reports said. Even though the Mumbai airport has two runways, the airport only operates one runway at a time since they cross each other, putting it in the single-runway category with London's Gatwick and Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport. Reports state that Mumbai operates over 900 airlines per day and handles around 46 take-offs and departures on an hour, making it one of the busiest airports in the world.

969 flights in 24 hours: Mumbai airport sets world record

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