Gatwick passengers ‘pass out’ waiting for hours in hot terminal and others trapped on planes amid yet more baggage chaos
EASYJET customers reportedly fainted at Gatwick today amid huge delays in scorching sunshine. Travellers hit out after misery at the airport, the UK’s third-busiest, as temperatures reached 29C this afternoon. Chaos reigned yet again this afternoon during a bleak summer for holiday-makers desperate for much-anticipated trips abroad. The airline’s passengers blasted problems with baggage handling […]
EASYJET customers reportedly fainted at Gatwick today amid huge delays in scorching sunshine.
Travellers hit out after misery at the airport, the UK’s third-busiest, as temperatures reached 29C this afternoon.
Chaos reigned yet again this afternoon during a bleak summer for holiday-makers desperate for much-anticipated trips abroad.
The airline’s passengers blasted problems with baggage handling and missing air stewards as jets sat on the tarmac for hours.
Messaging easyJet directly, Ross Harvie said: “Anyone seen the Gran Canaria cabin crew?
“We’re waiting in a BOILING Gatwick Airport.
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“People are passing out. Please hurry up.”
Susan Tingle hailed a “fabulous pilot and crew” – but slammed whopping delays to Austria.
“Spent five hours so far on our plane on the tarmac on our way to Innsbruck,” she said.
The flight was later cancelled altogether after a “technical issue”.
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One customer, who was travelling to Italy, joked he’d be happy to help baggage handlers.
“Still sat on the tarmac waiting for bags to be loaded,” he said.
“Been a couple of hours now.
“If you need a hand I’m really happy to load? In fact would welcome the workout.”
Others called for help as queues mounted.
One waited for four hours – and said there was “no information or any kind of explanation”.
And another said: “Please can you turn the air-con on at gate 53 North Terminal?
“Been sat here for 40 long minutes and feeling very unwell.”
Staff at Gatwick reportedly blamed ground handlers working for DHL Supply Chain for the drama.
NOT-SO-EASYJET
A customer travelling back to Gatwick North said “hundreds” of passengers were waiting at baggage reclaim with “no arriving luggage”.
“Dangerous overcrowding,” he said.
“The response from Gatwick over the tannoy – it’s all DHL’s fault!”
The airport has been one of the worst-affected by travel misery, which first took hold during the school half-term and shows no signs of ending.
Bosses have already announced 4,000 flights will be scrapped over the summer.
Daily flights will be capped at 825 in July and 850 in August – compared to 900 a day during the same period in previous years.
It’ll ruin the summer plans of an estimated 800,000 people.
Earlier this week, one easyJet passenger said travellers were close to “mutiny” as they faced a seven-hour delay onboard a flight from Gatwick to Dubrovnik in Croatia.
HOLIDAY NIGHTMARE
Two days later, the airport ran out of water – meaning customers couldn’t flush toilets, while restaurants closed.
Water firm SES say the issue was caused by a burst main pipe in Crawley, West Sussex.
Meanwhile, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary says the problems will get worse over the summer break.
“This problem is going to continue, particularly at airports like Gatwick and Heathrow, right throughout the summer,” he said.
“It will be worse at weekends and better during the week.”
Many passengers will be affected in the weeks to come – no matter where they choose to fly from.
Heathrow has ordered airlines to consider booting holiday-makers off jets in a bid to halt the chaos.
A spokesperson from easyJet said tonight there was “some disruption to its Gatwick flying programme today”.
Issues were caused by a “combination of issues”, the official said, including “ground handling and airport coaching delays due to airport staff shortages”.
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“While this is outside of our control we would like to apologise to customers for any inconvenience experienced,” she said.
Sun Online has approached DHL and Gatwick for comment.
