London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 01, 2025

EasyJet cancels hundreds of half-term flights from Gatwick as getaway begins

EasyJet cancels hundreds of half-term flights from Gatwick as getaway begins

UK airports, ports and roads under pressure with Dover passengers facing long queues and motorists warned of major jams
EasyJet has cancelled more than 200 flights over half-term from London Gatwick, upending the plans of tens of thousands of holidaymakers in the busiest period for air travel since the pandemic.

The last-minute cancellations came the day after the airline, Britain’s biggest by passenger numbers, suffered IT problems that left a further 200 flights unable to take off, and followed cancellations earlier in the day at London Gatwick in the early morning peak.

Friday was the busiest day at British airports since the start of the pandemic, as half-term holiday began for the vast majority of schools across England and Wales. Travellers trying to take cross-Channel ferries also faced long queues at Dover, while drivers around the country were warned to expect jams.

EasyJet’s decision to cancel about 240 flights over 10 days had been prompted by a combination of issues affecting operations, a spokeswoman said. She said: “We have taken the decision to make advance cancellations of around 24 Gatwick flights per day starting from tomorrow 28 May until 6 June.

“We are very sorry for the late notice of some of these cancellations and inconvenience caused for customers booked on these flights however we believe this is necessary to provide reliable services over this busy period. Customers are being informed from today and provided with the option to rebook their flight or receive a refund and can apply for compensation in line with regulations.”

Meanwhile, the RAC issued a warning over congestion on motorways and major A roads as an estimated 17.9m leisure trips by road will be made between Friday and Sunday, with Saturday the busiest day.

Its spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Major routes to holiday destinations will start to clog up … Drivers can beat the worst of the queues by planning the time of their trips carefully. An early start is always best or, failing that, driving at dusk if that’s a feasible option.”

Passengers travelling to Europe via Dover – including thousands of Liverpool supporters heading to Paris for football’s Champions League final on Saturday night – were facing long queues at the port, at the start of the half-term getaway.

The Port of Dover advised passengers to pack supplies of food and water as it expected a “very busy week ahead”. Irish Ferries warned customers to expect delays of up to three hours at port security and check-in, and P&O Ferries warned of heavy traffic at border control. Passengers who miss sailings are normally accommodated on the next service.

Almost 8,000 flights will depart from UK airports this weekend, from Friday until Sunday, according to data from the analysts Cirium, with Friday seeing the highest number of scheduled departures since March 2020.

Despite the increase in passenger numbers coming on the back of Thursday’s cancellation chaos, Britain’s airports stressed they were coping with the increased demand.

Gatwick said early check-in queues had cleared by the mid-morning, as it prepared for more than 800 flights and 120,000 passengers at the airport on Friday, the highest numbers since March 2020..

Manchester airport, where there have been some delays, said it was expecting a busy weekend – but that while queues in security had been as long as one hour early on Friday, they were now moving quickly. The airport is seeking to recruit hundreds of new security officers, after taking on 200 starters in the last month.

Unions warned that delays were likely to play out through half-term and could be worse in the summer holidays.

Unite, which represents tens of thousands of aviation workers, blamed airlines and airports for laying off employees during the pandemic and paying low wages.

Its general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “We warned this corporate greed would cause chaos in the industry. The aftermath of mass sackings is now chronic staff shortages across the board. Current pay and conditions in the industry are so poor that workers are voting with their feet.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
×