Severe thunderstorms across southeastern England and parts of Europe have led to significant flight disruptions at London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports, causing hundreds of delays and dozens of cancellations. Air traffic control services warned that the impact on flights was expected to continue into Sunday.
According to flight tracker FlightAware, over 900 inbound and outbound flights at the two major travel hubs experienced delays of up to 11 hours. NATS, the UK's air traffic control provider, cited adverse weather conditions as the reason for the disruption. These conditions necessitate aircraft avoiding affected areas and maintaining greater separation, which limits the number of flights that can operate safely.
Heathrow reported over 474 delayed flights, while Gatwick saw delays affecting 439 flights. The duration of these delays varied, with some passengers facing waits of up to 11 hours. For example, a British Airways flight from Santiago, Chile, originally scheduled to land at Heathrow at 10:00 BST, was rerouted to arrive at 21:00 BST.
Air traffic control data from Eurocontrol indicated the most severe delays were concentrated in the airspace between southeastern England and northwestern Europe, corresponding to the storm's current location. Other airports in the UK have largely remained unaffected by the weather.
NATS stated that while the forecast for UK airspace on Sunday appears more favorable, thunderstorms predicted in Europe could still affect flight routes across the continent. The severe weather followed a period of record-breaking heat in the UK, with temperatures reaching 37.3C (99.1F) in Suffolk on Friday, the hottest June high ever recorded.
Gatwick and Heathrow airports advised passengers to confirm their flight status with their respective airlines before traveling. NATS acknowledged the frustration caused by the disruptions and affirmed their collaboration with airlines and airports to minimize the impact.