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Gatwick Airport: Cancellations after flights suspended

Colin Franks Passengers waitingColin Franks
Some passengers were stuck between the boarding gate and the plane during the disruption on Wednesday

Thirteen flights have been cancelled following a suspension of services at Gatwick Airport.

Twenty-eight flights were cancelled and 26 diverted to other airports after the air traffic control problems on Wednesday.

The airport experienced a problem in its control tower, affecting services for two hours from about 17:00 BST.

One departure and 12 arrivals were cancelled on Thursday.

An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the issue, the airport said.

A spokeswoman for Gatwick Airport said the cancellations on Thursday were a result of planes being in the wrong place following Wednesday's disruption.

Passengers on two early morning flights from Turkey had to wait about three hours for their luggage to arrive at baggage reclaim on Thursday.

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The airport spokeswoman said there had been a "knock-on effect on [baggage] handler resources" after the delays on Wednesday evening.

She said the airport was now "operating as normal" and most passengers affected by the cancellations on Thursday would have been notified in advance by their airlines.

The airport has apologised to those affected by the disruption to services.

In December, flights were suspended for 30 hours after drone sightings, causing chaos for 140,000 passengers.

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