Thunderstorms cause flight delays at Heathrow and Gatwick

Severe thunderstorms sweeping across southern England and parts of Europe caused major disruption to air travel on Saturday, June 27, leading to hundreds of flight delays and cancellations at London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports. The UK's air traffic control provider, NATS, said the storm system forced aircraft to steer clear of affected airspace and operate with increased spacing between flights, significantly reducing capacity across busy routes.

Flight tracking data indicated that more than 900 combined arrivals and departures at the two major airports were delayed, with a significant number also cancelled. Many delays stretched for several hours, with some flights pushed back by most of the day due to ongoing congestion. Long-haul arrivals were particularly affected, with some aircraft held back or diverted while weather conditions passed over key air corridors.

NATS stated that thunderstorms developing across southeast England and mainland Europe were responsible for restricting airspace capacity, as controllers had to ensure aircraft were safely separated and guided around storm cells. The organization said it was working with airlines and airports to manage the impact...