Gatwick Airport faces second water outage in a month

Gatwick Airport experienced significant disruption on Friday, August 28, 2026, after a burst water main forced the closure of toilets and restaurants in its North Terminal, marking the second major water supply failure at the UK's second-busiest airport this summer. The incident, which began in the afternoon, left passengers unable to use many facilities or purchase hot food and drinks, though flight operations remained unaffected. The problem was traced to a burst main in a field in the nearby town of Horley, which is part of the SES Water network. The water company confirmed its teams were on site working to repair the burst "as quickly and safely as possible." Anthony Rochester, head of networks at SES Water, stated, "We are sorry for the disruption this is causing customers and will continue to provide updates." Passengers at the North Terminal reported widespread inconvenience. Social media posts described all toilets as closed and restaurants, bars, and cafes as non-operational, with no hot food or drinks available. One traveller noted the lack of official notices at the airport, while another described the situation as a "nightmare.