LONDON: Drones flying near London’s Gatwick airport grounded flights throughout Thursday, stranding thousands of Christmas travellers in what the government called a reckless attempt to cripple Britain’s second busiest airport.
Police said there was no indication of a terrorism motive as they hunted unsuccessfully for the operators of the drones that first appeared on Wednesday night.
Authorities resisted shooting the drones out of the air for fear of stray bullets, Gatwick Chief Operating Officer Chris Woodroofe said.
With flights grounded for more than 17 hours, the army was called in to help with unspecified “specialist equipment”.
The airport said flights would remain cancelled until further notice on Thursday, a day when 115,000 people were scheduled to pass through, many en route to seasonal breaks.
“I’m very annoyed because I’m with two kids, a three-month-old and three-year-old,” said passenger Ani Kochiashvili who was bound for Georgia but spent six hours overnight sitting on a plane with her children.
“They require a lot of space and food and changing and all that, and the airport is crazy busy so it’s challenging,” she said by phone among thousands camped in the terminal.
Flights were halted at 2103 GMT on Wednesday after two drones were spotted near the airfield, triggering the biggest disruption at Gatwick since a volcanic ash cloud in 2010.
Prime Minister Theresa May offered sympathies to upset travellers and said police may be given greater powers against drones in the future. Her spokesman condemned the drone flying as “irresponsible and completely unacceptable”.
The airport and its biggest airline easyJet told passengers to check before heading to the airport where people sat waiting on stairs and floors. — Reuters
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