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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2018/dec/21/gatwick-drone-airport-limited-flights-live
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| Gatwick drone chaos: operator not yet found but flights resume as airport reopens – live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Christ Woodroofe, Gatwick’s Chief operating officer, had this advice this morning to passengers: | |
| Our advice to our passengers is to check with their airline on each of those flights that they’re intending to get, to establish whether it’s one of the flights that’s being operated or one of the flights that’s being cancelled, before they come to the airport. | |
| I’d just like to apologise to all of those affected over the last 36 hours - 120,000 passengers who were due to fly to their destinations or arrive into Gatwick who have not travelled. | |
| We’re expecting to hear from the Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, within the next half an hour. | |
| Gatwick has been reopened due to “additional mitigating measures” that have been put in place in collaboration with government agencies and the military, Gatwick’s Chief Operating Officer has said. | |
| Chris Woodroofe, who was speaking on BBC’s Today Programme in the last half an hour, said that he couldn’t comment on whether that means that the drone will be shot down if it appears again. | |
| “You’ll appreciate that there are certain things I can’t talk about in detail,” he said when pressed | |
| However, he did add that what the last 24 hours have shown is that a lot more work needs to be done at international airports to prepare and counteract such events. | |
| “We need to do work with both technology providers and governments to address this risk,” he said | |
| Gatwick had been working on issues around the threat from drones for more than a year but the reality is that today “there is still no commercial solution that is licensed to operate at airports that is proven,” he said. | |
| “We have called in government agencies and the military to assist us in getting Gatwick open again to counteract this unprecedented event, this criminal act.” | |
| He expected just under seven hundred departures to go through the airport today, a reduction of one hundred flights. | |
| However, he agreed that the continuity of operations depended on whether or not the drone would be spotted again. | |
| Folks, I’m signing off now and handing over to my colleague Ben Quinn. | Folks, I’m signing off now and handing over to my colleague Ben Quinn. |
| Thanks for following along over these last, frankly quite exciting, hours. Keep checking in as we see how things go at Gatwick, whether the drone reappears and what news there is of the search for the drone operator(s). | |
| The Gatwick COO says they are expecting to see 700 departures from the airport on Friday and that these planned departures depend on whether there are any more sightings of the drone. | The Gatwick COO says they are expecting to see 700 departures from the airport on Friday and that these planned departures depend on whether there are any more sightings of the drone. |
| The COO says the drone operator has not been found by police but the airport has put in additional mitigating measures to protect against drones and these measures have given him the confidence to re-start flights. | The COO says the drone operator has not been found by police but the airport has put in additional mitigating measures to protect against drones and these measures have given him the confidence to re-start flights. |
| That beautiful word “DEPARTED” is starting to appear on the deartures board at Gatwick airport again. Feeling for those who are seeing “DELAYED” and “ENQUIRE AIRLINE” for their flights. pic.twitter.com/Kk4NXrPVIe | That beautiful word “DEPARTED” is starting to appear on the deartures board at Gatwick airport again. Feeling for those who are seeing “DELAYED” and “ENQUIRE AIRLINE” for their flights. pic.twitter.com/Kk4NXrPVIe |
| Welcome to all the passengers onboard the easyJet flight from Bordeaux that has just landed at Gatwick. | Welcome to all the passengers onboard the easyJet flight from Bordeaux that has just landed at Gatwick. |
| A flight to Dubrovnik has just left Gatwick and one to Malaga is taking off now. Flights to Murcia, Milan and Gibraltar on the runway. | A flight to Dubrovnik has just left Gatwick and one to Malaga is taking off now. Flights to Murcia, Milan and Gibraltar on the runway. |
| Gatwick is beginning to resemble a functional airport once more. | Gatwick is beginning to resemble a functional airport once more. |
| A veritable cornucopia of flights preparing for takeoff from Gatwick. These flights are variously heading to Milan, Murcia, Gibraltar and Malaga. pic.twitter.com/Uxcd0nXyWJ | A veritable cornucopia of flights preparing for takeoff from Gatwick. These flights are variously heading to Milan, Murcia, Gibraltar and Malaga. pic.twitter.com/Uxcd0nXyWJ |
| ‘Chaos in the skies’: How the papers covered it | ‘Chaos in the skies’: How the papers covered it |
| You’ll be unsurprised to hear that it is (almost) all about the Gatwick chaos on the front pages of the papers today. | You’ll be unsurprised to hear that it is (almost) all about the Gatwick chaos on the front pages of the papers today. |
| “Chaos in the skies,” says the i. The Sun calls it: “The drone wolf” and the Guardian reports “Gatwick chaos sparks call for new controls on drones”.The Daily Mail is incredulous, asking: “How COULD this speck in the sky ruin Christmas for 350,000?” and the Express feels similarly: “Just how can drone maniac shut Gatwick?” | “Chaos in the skies,” says the i. The Sun calls it: “The drone wolf” and the Guardian reports “Gatwick chaos sparks call for new controls on drones”.The Daily Mail is incredulous, asking: “How COULD this speck in the sky ruin Christmas for 350,000?” and the Express feels similarly: “Just how can drone maniac shut Gatwick?” |
| The Telegraph cites a Whitehall source who suggests environmentalists could be responsible: “Eco-warriors blamed for drone attack that crippled Gatwick” and the Times reports: “Army called in as drones force Gatwick shutdown”. | The Telegraph cites a Whitehall source who suggests environmentalists could be responsible: “Eco-warriors blamed for drone attack that crippled Gatwick” and the Times reports: “Army called in as drones force Gatwick shutdown”. |
| Friday's @DailyMailUK #MailFrontPages pic.twitter.com/DJgu49XLxO | Friday's @DailyMailUK #MailFrontPages pic.twitter.com/DJgu49XLxO |
| EXPRESS: Just how can drone maniac shut Gatwick? #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/EDiqUSgHpy | EXPRESS: Just how can drone maniac shut Gatwick? #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/EDiqUSgHpy |
| 'Drone maniac': what the papers say about the Gatwick airport chaos | 'Drone maniac': what the papers say about the Gatwick airport chaos |
| Tomorrow's front page: Gatwick to be shut 'for foreseeable future' as 'eco-warrior' sends up drone AGAIN despite being hunted by cops, Army and MI5 for 24 hours https://t.co/XGQafnlPDG pic.twitter.com/P2Oj1UaZgs | Tomorrow's front page: Gatwick to be shut 'for foreseeable future' as 'eco-warrior' sends up drone AGAIN despite being hunted by cops, Army and MI5 for 24 hours https://t.co/XGQafnlPDG pic.twitter.com/P2Oj1UaZgs |
| The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph: 'Eco-warriors blamed for drone attack that crippled Gatwick' #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/HVUS9GZlEy | The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph: 'Eco-warriors blamed for drone attack that crippled Gatwick' #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/HVUS9GZlEy |
| Guardian front page, Friday 21 December 2018: Gatwick chaos sparks call for new controls on drones pic.twitter.com/ELGwgn8rLv | Guardian front page, Friday 21 December 2018: Gatwick chaos sparks call for new controls on drones pic.twitter.com/ELGwgn8rLv |
| THE TIMES: Army called in as drones force Gatwick shutdown #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/Thvi1Xvx96 | THE TIMES: Army called in as drones force Gatwick shutdown #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/Thvi1Xvx96 |
| There is quite a lot of irritation online at the lack of information coming out of Gatwick Airport and some airlines. | There is quite a lot of irritation online at the lack of information coming out of Gatwick Airport and some airlines. |
| Please @Gatwick_Airport @easyjet some viable information on your websites? I've been up all night looking for non existent flights to get my family together for xmas https://t.co/sEWYwaxKhN | Please @Gatwick_Airport @easyjet some viable information on your websites? I've been up all night looking for non existent flights to get my family together for xmas https://t.co/sEWYwaxKhN |
| Gatwick Airport’s official Twitter account didn’t post any new information for seven hours throughout the night, remaining silent between 11pm and 6am. | Gatwick Airport’s official Twitter account didn’t post any new information for seven hours throughout the night, remaining silent between 11pm and 6am. |
| Due to the unprecedented volume of tweets we’re receiving at the moment we are posting regular updates here, but may be unable to respond to individuals. Please check the latest flight information with your airline. We apologise for the continued disruption today. | Due to the unprecedented volume of tweets we’re receiving at the moment we are posting regular updates here, but may be unable to respond to individuals. Please check the latest flight information with your airline. We apologise for the continued disruption today. |
| At about 6am they tweeted “due to the unprecedented volume of tweets we’re receiving at the moment we are posting regular updates here”, but since then have not posted anything. | At about 6am they tweeted “due to the unprecedented volume of tweets we’re receiving at the moment we are posting regular updates here”, but since then have not posted anything. |
| Though they do have a notice running on their website: | Though they do have a notice running on their website: |
| Gatwick’s runway is currently available and a limited number of aircraft are scheduled for departure and arrival. | Gatwick’s runway is currently available and a limited number of aircraft are scheduled for departure and arrival. |
| Gatwick continues to advise passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport as departures and arrivals will be subject to delays and cancellations. | Gatwick continues to advise passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport as departures and arrivals will be subject to delays and cancellations. |
| easyJet hasn’t posted on Twitter for 13 hours and has had the same update live on its website since 4:30am, confirming the runway is now open and that they “expect... the number of departures and landings will be restricted to begin with”. | easyJet hasn’t posted on Twitter for 13 hours and has had the same update live on its website since 4:30am, confirming the runway is now open and that they “expect... the number of departures and landings will be restricted to begin with”. |
| We are making every effort to get people to their destination but following reports of drones flying over @Gatwick_Airport, the runway remains closed and flights are currently suspended. We have cancelled all flights due to operate to or from LGW today. https://t.co/y4Y2Cy0j40 | We are making every effort to get people to their destination but following reports of drones flying over @Gatwick_Airport, the runway remains closed and flights are currently suspended. We have cancelled all flights due to operate to or from LGW today. https://t.co/y4Y2Cy0j40 |
| And credit where its due, British Airways’ social media team have been working overtime to respond individually to customer inquiries. | And credit where its due, British Airways’ social media team have been working overtime to respond individually to customer inquiries. |
| Three more planes are taxiing at Gatwick, two to Alicante and one to Geneva. They are: | Three more planes are taxiing at Gatwick, two to Alicante and one to Geneva. They are: |
| easyJet flight EZY24QY to Alicante | easyJet flight EZY24QY to Alicante |
| British Airways flight BA2736 to Geneva | British Airways flight BA2736 to Geneva |
| British Airways flight BA 2632 to Alicante | British Airways flight BA 2632 to Alicante |
| We have lift-off! | We have lift-off! |
| The Norwegian Airlines flight D82968 to Rovaniemi has taken off and is now on its way to deliver its passengers to Finland. | The Norwegian Airlines flight D82968 to Rovaniemi has taken off and is now on its way to deliver its passengers to Finland. |
| Safe travels D82968. | Safe travels D82968. |
| The Rovaniemi flight is on the runway. No estimated departure time yet. But this is exciting. I am really barracking for these Rovaniemi travellers. | The Rovaniemi flight is on the runway. No estimated departure time yet. But this is exciting. I am really barracking for these Rovaniemi travellers. |
| We still haven’t seen any planes depart Gatwick, which is what the thousands of people currently stranded there are waiting for. | We still haven’t seen any planes depart Gatwick, which is what the thousands of people currently stranded there are waiting for. |
| The Norwegian Arlines D82968 flight to Rovaniemi Finland was due to take off at 5:45am and has been listed on the Gatwick departures board as “LAST CALL” for about an hour now. Fingers crossed that that flight leaves soon, we’ll keep you posted. | The Norwegian Arlines D82968 flight to Rovaniemi Finland was due to take off at 5:45am and has been listed on the Gatwick departures board as “LAST CALL” for about an hour now. Fingers crossed that that flight leaves soon, we’ll keep you posted. |
| For those interested in the riveting game that is Live Flight Departure Board Watch, you can play along at home, by looking here. | For those interested in the riveting game that is Live Flight Departure Board Watch, you can play along at home, by looking here. |
| And the good news keeps on rolling. The China Eastern Airlines flight from Shanghai is just about to land into Gatwick. | And the good news keeps on rolling. The China Eastern Airlines flight from Shanghai is just about to land into Gatwick. |
| This is the first international flight to land at the airport and you can imagine the relief of those people onboard the plane at the prospect of a safe landing. The flight from Shanghai is 12 hours and 45 minutes, so well done to all those passengers who made it, who I imagine will be keen on a stiff drink, a shower, and a good sleep. | This is the first international flight to land at the airport and you can imagine the relief of those people onboard the plane at the prospect of a safe landing. The flight from Shanghai is 12 hours and 45 minutes, so well done to all those passengers who made it, who I imagine will be keen on a stiff drink, a shower, and a good sleep. |
| More flights are listed as boarding at Gatwick Airport, with gates open. Congratulations to all those who have been sleeping (as much as anyone ever sleeps at an airport) and have awoken to news they will be going to Alicante this morning as they hoped. pic.twitter.com/y4xiMpZQG7 | More flights are listed as boarding at Gatwick Airport, with gates open. Congratulations to all those who have been sleeping (as much as anyone ever sleeps at an airport) and have awoken to news they will be going to Alicante this morning as they hoped. pic.twitter.com/y4xiMpZQG7 |