Gatwick flights suspended after ‘suspected drone’ sighting

Speaking to the BBC, a spokesperson for the airport said operations were suspended just before 1.45pm but were resumed around 50 minutes later. 

A dozen inbound aircraft were diverted to other airports during the incident.

"Passenger safety is the airport’s absolute priority and – following established procedures – operations at London Gatwick were suspended temporarily at 13:44 while investigations into the sighting of a suspected drone close to the airfield took place," the spokesperson added.

It comes after all flights to and from Gatwick were suspended in 2018 due to the presence of drones flying close to the airport.

Following the incident, the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA) warned the trade about insurance companies refusing to pay out for clients who were affected by the drone chaos.