Air travel across the United Kingdom faced major disruption on Saturday after thunderstorms sweeping across southern England triggered extensive delays and cancellations at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports, with some passengers stranded for hours amid worsening weather conditions.
According to aviation tracking data, more than 600 flights arriving at or departing from the two major travel hubs were delayed, while dozens of services were cancelled as air traffic restrictions were imposed due to severe thunderstorms following an intense heatwave.
Britain’s air traffic control authority, NATS, warned that weather-related disruption was expected to continue throughout the day, citing severe storm activity across southeastern England that significantly affected flight operations and airspace management.
Flight tracking service FlightAware reported that at least 367 flights linked to Heathrow Airport had been delayed by Saturday afternoon, while Gatwick recorded approximately 352 delayed flights. Some services faced delays of up to six hours, according to BBC.
European air navigation agency Eurocontrol identified Heathrow and Gatwick as the only airports in the UK experiencing “heavy” delays directly linked to thunderstorm activity, particularly in air corridors connecting southeast England with northwestern Europe.
Airport authorities confirmed that temporary air traffic control restrictions had been introduced to ensure operational safety during the adverse weather conditions.
Gatwick Airport said several flights were delayed or cancelled because of ongoing thunderstorms, while Heathrow advised passengers to check directly with airlines before travelling to the airport.
British Airways acknowledged that it had adjusted parts of its schedule because of air traffic control restrictions caused by adverse weather conditions affecting UK airspace, while EasyJet said it had pre-emptively cancelled several services to and from Gatwick to minimize disruption.
The airline added that affected passengers were being offered options including rebooking, refunds, hotel accommodation, and meals where necessary.
The travel disruption comes as parts of eastern and southeastern England continue to experience extreme temperatures, with the UK Met Office maintaining an amber heat warning through Sunday morning even as isolated thunderstorms intensify across the region.
Meteorologists warned that storm activity south of the UK was expected to strengthen further later on Saturday, raising the possibility of continued delays and operational challenges for airlines and passengers alike.
