Holiday getaways hit as flights axed and pile-up shuts
HOLIDAYMAKERS’ getaway plans were thrown into chaos yesterday as flights were delayed at Gatwick and the M25 was closed for more than eight hours after a lorry crash.
The truck jackknifed across all three lanes of the clockwise carriageway following a collision with a black cab and a car.
The smash near Leatherhead, Surrey, shortly before 5am left the carriageway closed for about 13 miles, causing 30-mile tailbacks in either direction.
Police said the lorry driver was fighting for life after being airlifted to hospital but the occupants of the two other vehicles were unhurt.
Drivers were stuck for hours, some without water, in stifling heat.
Kyron Smith said: “Nobody is moving. They haven’t let us turn back.We have got nothing in the car, no water, and we can’t stop at a service station.”
Another motorist added on Twitter: “There has been so little information. It’s horrendous.”
Meanwhile, thousands of air passengers were left frustrated amid cancellations and delays at Gatwick Airport after issues with the air traffic control systems.
Following a night of chaos and cancellations on Wednesday evening, there were a further 11 arrivals and one departure cancelled at the airport yesterday morning. Scores more flights were seriously delayed.
A Gatwick spokesman said: “The arrival cancellations were from early on this morning – this is due to knock-on effect from last night.”
The delays began after an air traffic control problem forced Gatwick to suspend flights for about two hours.
The issue in the airport’s control tower triggered the suspension shortly after 5pm.
Inbound flights were diverted to other airports and some outbound flights were cancelled. But thousands of passengers continued to be
aaffected yesterday as airlines struggled to move aircraft and crew to their scheduled location.
The problem was finally resolved but the issue continued to cause disruption throughout the day.
BA, easyJet and Norwegian were among the airlines affected.
Strikes could lead to more disruption at the airport over the summer as workers ballot for industrial action over pay.