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| Gatwick Airport drones: 'Absolute shambles' as flights are cancelled | Gatwick Airport drones: 'Absolute shambles' as flights are cancelled |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Drones flying over Gatwick Airport have caused Christmas travel chaos for thousands. Among them is a couple hoping to honeymoon in New York and a little boy who wants to go to Lapland. | Drones flying over Gatwick Airport have caused Christmas travel chaos for thousands. Among them is a couple hoping to honeymoon in New York and a little boy who wants to go to Lapland. |
| Instead of celebrating her marriage in the festive fairytale of New York, newlywed Hope Lauren Eder is stranded at the airport. | Instead of celebrating her marriage in the festive fairytale of New York, newlywed Hope Lauren Eder is stranded at the airport. |
| "We haven't heard anything from our airline, by text or anything, so we thought we'd head to the airport," she said. | "We haven't heard anything from our airline, by text or anything, so we thought we'd head to the airport," she said. |
| "There weren't any queues at the desk, so we managed to get through quickly." | "There weren't any queues at the desk, so we managed to get through quickly." |
| 'Absolute shambles' | 'Absolute shambles' |
| She said the scenes at the check-in lounge were "awful." | She said the scenes at the check-in lounge were "awful." |
| "I saw a woman crying, someone had collapsed at the bottom of the escalator, it's just an absolute shambles. | "I saw a woman crying, someone had collapsed at the bottom of the escalator, it's just an absolute shambles. |
| "No-one's really saying what's going on. They're just checking you in and then once we're through you've just got to wait and hear. It's not a guarantee that it's going to take off." | "No-one's really saying what's going on. They're just checking you in and then once we're through you've just got to wait and hear. It's not a guarantee that it's going to take off." |
| Tanya Stewart had been due to fly to Lapland with her seven-year-old son Teddy, who she said was being "very brave". | Tanya Stewart had been due to fly to Lapland with her seven-year-old son Teddy, who she said was being "very brave". |
| He said: "My dad, he walked to the front desk of the airport and he asked what was going on, and the lady gave him a letter and it said the flights would be cancelled. I was just sad and upset." | He said: "My dad, he walked to the front desk of the airport and he asked what was going on, and the lady gave him a letter and it said the flights would be cancelled. I was just sad and upset." |
| Mrs Stewart said: "I just feel so bad I wanted it to be a day to remember for Teddy one that he will treasure forever." | Mrs Stewart said: "I just feel so bad I wanted it to be a day to remember for Teddy one that he will treasure forever." |
| But optimistic Teddy insisted: "We can do it next year." | But optimistic Teddy insisted: "We can do it next year." |
| 'Last chance for grandson' | 'Last chance for grandson' |
| Gordon in Blackheath, London texted BBC Radio 5 Live: "My wife and seven-year old boy are going to Greece to visit a very ill grandmother. It will break her heart if they can't make it. It may be her last chance to see them." | Gordon in Blackheath, London texted BBC Radio 5 Live: "My wife and seven-year old boy are going to Greece to visit a very ill grandmother. It will break her heart if they can't make it. It may be her last chance to see them." |
| A woman named Michelle from Guernsey told 5 Live her daughter Caitlyn was stuck in Spain as her flight home via Gatwick had been cancelled. | A woman named Michelle from Guernsey told 5 Live her daughter Caitlyn was stuck in Spain as her flight home via Gatwick had been cancelled. |
| Caitlyn is a third year foreign exchange student who is spending a year living and studying in Barcelona. | Caitlyn is a third year foreign exchange student who is spending a year living and studying in Barcelona. |
| Her mother said: "It's going to be a big family Christmas, all four of my children are coming home and I would like her to be here, we don't want her stuck there on her own." | Her mother said: "It's going to be a big family Christmas, all four of my children are coming home and I would like her to be here, we don't want her stuck there on her own." |
| Geoffrey Grove, 42, is stranded on a plane at Orly airport, France after his flight from Boston, USA was grounded. | Geoffrey Grove, 42, is stranded on a plane at Orly airport, France after his flight from Boston, USA was grounded. |
| The plane has been on the runway at Orly since 0805 GMT and passengers are not allowed off the plane. | The plane has been on the runway at Orly since 0805 GMT and passengers are not allowed off the plane. |
| "There is no air conditioning. Babies are being stripped because it is so hot," said Mr Grove. | "There is no air conditioning. Babies are being stripped because it is so hot," said Mr Grove. |
| "We are trying to get to the Swiss alps. So this will definitely slow things down. | "We are trying to get to the Swiss alps. So this will definitely slow things down. |
| "The unfortunate thing is the utter waste of time just sitting on the plane for four hours." | "The unfortunate thing is the utter waste of time just sitting on the plane for four hours." |