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| Gatwick chaos: Police 'could shoot down drone' | Gatwick chaos: Police 'could shoot down drone' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Police say they are considering trying to shoot down a drone that has shut Gatwick Airport for more than 24 hours. | Police say they are considering trying to shoot down a drone that has shut Gatwick Airport for more than 24 hours. |
| Sussex Police has received about 50 reports of the device being flown near the airfield since Wednesday evening. | |
| Det Ch Supt Jason Tingley said shooting the drone was discounted earlier but is a "tactical option" and something which is being "continually reviewed". | Det Ch Supt Jason Tingley said shooting the drone was discounted earlier but is a "tactical option" and something which is being "continually reviewed". |
| The Army has been deployed, but it was confirmed the airport would remain shut into Friday. | The Army has been deployed, but it was confirmed the airport would remain shut into Friday. |
| About 110,000 passengers on 760 flights had been due to fly on Thursday. | |
| No arrests have been made, and the airport is expected to be closed for the "foreseeable future" while the hunt for the drone continues. | |
| "We have got some estimations around the size of the drone, what it looks like," Det Ch Supt Tingley said. | "We have got some estimations around the size of the drone, what it looks like," Det Ch Supt Tingley said. |
| "We haven't yet identified the specific make and model of the drone. That will influence our tactical options." | "We haven't yet identified the specific make and model of the drone. That will influence our tactical options." |
| The force previously said they "did not want to shoot the drones because of the risk from stray bullets". | |
| Gatwick disruption: As it happened | |
| Confirming the airport's closure on Thursday evening, chief operating officer Chris Woodroofe said: "We will review overnight whether there is any potential to open tomorrow." | Confirming the airport's closure on Thursday evening, chief operating officer Chris Woodroofe said: "We will review overnight whether there is any potential to open tomorrow." |
| Speaking at 21:30 GMT he said the situation remained "fluid", as the drone had been spotted again less than an hour earlier. | |
| On Thursday evening Ryanair announced it would be re-routing all its Gatwick flights to Stansted on Friday. | |
| Mr Woodroofe's advice to passengers remained not to travel to the airport on Friday morning without checking the status of their flights, as they are were working on contingency plans based on the possibility of the airport remaining closed. | |
| He added: "We have had the police, we have had the military seeking to bring this drone down for the last 24 hours and to date that has not been successful." | |
| Sussex Police said the drone activity was not terror-related but was a "deliberate act" of disruption, using "industrial specification" drones. | |
| Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate agreed it was a "highly targeted activity" and added: "It cannot be right that drones can close a vital part of our national infrastructure in this way. This is obviously a relatively new technology and we need to think through together the right solutions to make sure it cannot happen again." | |
| Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson confirmed the military deployment on Thursday evening. | |
| He said: "The armed forces have a range of unique capabilities and this isn't something we would usually deploy but we are there to assist and do everything we can so that they are in a position to open the airport at the earliest opportunity." | He said: "The armed forces have a range of unique capabilities and this isn't something we would usually deploy but we are there to assist and do everything we can so that they are in a position to open the airport at the earliest opportunity." |
| Men in military uniform were seen arriving at the airport at about 20:00 GMT and liaising with police officers, before entering the grounds in convoy. | Men in military uniform were seen arriving at the airport at about 20:00 GMT and liaising with police officers, before entering the grounds in convoy. |
| Officials from various government departments have been meeting and the prime minister is being kept informed. | Officials from various government departments have been meeting and the prime minister is being kept informed. |
| Theresa May's spokesman said: "This is a serious incident, it's causing widespread disruption for passengers. | Theresa May's spokesman said: "This is a serious incident, it's causing widespread disruption for passengers. |
| "The intention, obviously, is that it should be brought to a close as soon as possible." | "The intention, obviously, is that it should be brought to a close as soon as possible." |
| Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "We'll do everything we can to ensure that if Gatwick is not open again quickly that we can get [passengers] away from other airports." | Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "We'll do everything we can to ensure that if Gatwick is not open again quickly that we can get [passengers] away from other airports." |
| He could not confirm whether the perpetrators were close to being caught but added: "There's a huge amount of effort going on - we've got up-to-date technology, we've brought special technology into Gatwick to try and track this down." | He could not confirm whether the perpetrators were close to being caught but added: "There's a huge amount of effort going on - we've got up-to-date technology, we've brought special technology into Gatwick to try and track this down." |
| What happened? | What happened? |
| The shutdown started just after 21:00 on Wednesday when two drones were spotted flying "over the perimeter fence and into where the runway operates from". | The shutdown started just after 21:00 on Wednesday when two drones were spotted flying "over the perimeter fence and into where the runway operates from". |
| The runway briefly reopened at 03:01 on Thursday but was closed again about 45 minutes later due to "a further sighting of drones". | The runway briefly reopened at 03:01 on Thursday but was closed again about 45 minutes later due to "a further sighting of drones". |
| Drones continued to be spotted throughout the day. | |
| Mr Woodroofe said on reopening the airport "we will first repatriate passengers who are in the wrong place which could take several days". | |
| The police operation | The police operation |
| More than 20 police units from two forces are searching for the perpetrator, who could face up to five years in jail. | More than 20 police units from two forces are searching for the perpetrator, who could face up to five years in jail. |
| Supt Justin Burtenshaw, head of armed policing for Sussex and Surrey, described attempts to catch whoever was controlling the drones as "painstaking" because it was "a difficult and challenging thing to locate them". | Supt Justin Burtenshaw, head of armed policing for Sussex and Surrey, described attempts to catch whoever was controlling the drones as "painstaking" because it was "a difficult and challenging thing to locate them". |
| "Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears; when we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears," he said. | "Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears; when we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears," he said. |
| As a result of an appeal for information, Sussex Police said it had been inundated with calls, but urged people to contact with information "focussed on the identity or location of the drone operator". | As a result of an appeal for information, Sussex Police said it had been inundated with calls, but urged people to contact with information "focussed on the identity or location of the drone operator". |
| How have passengers been affected? | How have passengers been affected? |
| About 10,000 passengers were affected overnight on Wednesday and Gatwick said 110,000 people were due to either take off or land at the airport on Thursday. | About 10,000 passengers were affected overnight on Wednesday and Gatwick said 110,000 people were due to either take off or land at the airport on Thursday. |
| Incoming planes were diverted to other airports including London Heathrow, Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Paris and Amsterdam. | Incoming planes were diverted to other airports including London Heathrow, Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Paris and Amsterdam. |
| Crowds of travellers spent the morning waiting inside Gatwick's terminal for updates, while others reported being stuck on grounded planes for hours. | Crowds of travellers spent the morning waiting inside Gatwick's terminal for updates, while others reported being stuck on grounded planes for hours. |
| Are you waiting for your flight at Gatwick Airport? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you waiting for your flight at Gatwick Airport? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| A Gatwick spokeswoman said extra staff had been brought in and they were "trying their best" to provide food and water to those who needed it, and they would be leaving the heating on overnight for stranded passengers. | |
| The Civil Aviation Authority said it considered this event to be an "extraordinary circumstance", and therefore airlines were not obligated to pay any financial compensation to passengers. | The Civil Aviation Authority said it considered this event to be an "extraordinary circumstance", and therefore airlines were not obligated to pay any financial compensation to passengers. |
| Alex Neill, from consumer rights group Which?, said people "may still be entitled to meals, refreshments, hotel accommodation or transfers". | Alex Neill, from consumer rights group Which?, said people "may still be entitled to meals, refreshments, hotel accommodation or transfers". |
| Kasia Jaworska told the BBC she was travelling from Glasgow to Gatwick with her boyfriend when her flight was diverted to Luton. | Kasia Jaworska told the BBC she was travelling from Glasgow to Gatwick with her boyfriend when her flight was diverted to Luton. |
| She said she thought it was "strange" two drones had led to the closure of the airport. | She said she thought it was "strange" two drones had led to the closure of the airport. |
| "You would imagine there would be better security in place and emergency action for something like that," she said. | "You would imagine there would be better security in place and emergency action for something like that," she said. |
| Christopher Lister, who had been returning from Kiev, posted a picture of people sleeping "on every seat and across the floors" on board his flight. | Christopher Lister, who had been returning from Kiev, posted a picture of people sleeping "on every seat and across the floors" on board his flight. |
| He said the photo was taken six hours after the plane - which was due to arrive at Gatwick - landed in Birmingham. | He said the photo was taken six hours after the plane - which was due to arrive at Gatwick - landed in Birmingham. |
| Luke McComiskie, whose flight ended up in Manchester, described chaotic scenes as people tried to find their way home after more than three hours stuck onboard. | Luke McComiskie, whose flight ended up in Manchester, described chaotic scenes as people tried to find their way home after more than three hours stuck onboard. |
| The 20-year-old from Aldershot said: "We got told there would be some arrangements with coaches for us when we get out the terminal. | The 20-year-old from Aldershot said: "We got told there would be some arrangements with coaches for us when we get out the terminal. |
| "It was just chaos and they had only two coaches and taxis charging people £600 to get to Gatwick." | "It was just chaos and they had only two coaches and taxis charging people £600 to get to Gatwick." |
| Airports and drones: The law | Airports and drones: The law |
| It is illegal to fly a drone within 1km of an airport or airfield boundary and flying above 400ft (120m) - which increases the risk of a collision with a manned aircraft - is also banned. | It is illegal to fly a drone within 1km of an airport or airfield boundary and flying above 400ft (120m) - which increases the risk of a collision with a manned aircraft - is also banned. |
| Endangering the safety of an aircraft is a criminal offence which can carry a prison sentence of five years. | Endangering the safety of an aircraft is a criminal offence which can carry a prison sentence of five years. |
| The number of aircraft incidents involving drones has grown dramatically in the past few years. In 2013 there were zero incidents, compared to almost 100 last year. | The number of aircraft incidents involving drones has grown dramatically in the past few years. In 2013 there were zero incidents, compared to almost 100 last year. |
| Mr Grayling said the events at Gatwick are "not something that's not been experienced in this country before", even though drones have been a problem elsewhere in the world. | Mr Grayling said the events at Gatwick are "not something that's not been experienced in this country before", even though drones have been a problem elsewhere in the world. |
| Civilian drones have grown in popularity as they have got cheaper and technological improvements have meant components are smaller, faster and more reliable than ever before. | Civilian drones have grown in popularity as they have got cheaper and technological improvements have meant components are smaller, faster and more reliable than ever before. |
| Mr Grayling said the government was now looking to "go further" with drone-control, including considering age-limits for users. | Mr Grayling said the government was now looking to "go further" with drone-control, including considering age-limits for users. |
| He added: "Anyone who tries to do the same [as at Gatwick] again, should expect to go to jail for a long time." | He added: "Anyone who tries to do the same [as at Gatwick] again, should expect to go to jail for a long time." |
| The UK Airprox Board assesses incidents involving drones and keeps a log of all reports. | The UK Airprox Board assesses incidents involving drones and keeps a log of all reports. |
| In one incident last year, for example, a pilot flying over Manchester saw a red "football-sized" drone passing down the left hand side of the aircraft. | In one incident last year, for example, a pilot flying over Manchester saw a red "football-sized" drone passing down the left hand side of the aircraft. |
| In another, a plane leaving Glasgow narrowly missed a drone. The pilot in that case said the crew only had three seconds of warning and there was "no time to take avoiding action". | In another, a plane leaving Glasgow narrowly missed a drone. The pilot in that case said the crew only had three seconds of warning and there was "no time to take avoiding action". |
| Have you been affected by the suspension of flights at Gatwick Airport? Do you have any questions about your consumer rights? You can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Have you been affected by the suspension of flights at Gatwick Airport? Do you have any questions about your consumer rights? You can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |