Millicent Cooke
BBC News Online

Flights between Newquay and Gatwick have been cancelled after drones were seen flying over the airfield in the capital.

Tens of thousands of passengers at one of the UK's busiest airports are experiencing flight disruption.

Gatwick's runway remains closed after two of the devices were seen nearby.

Flights are unable to take off or land and Gatwick said 110,000 passengers on 760 flights were due to use the airport on Thursday.

Image source, Cornwall Airport Newquay

Image source, Cornwall Airport Newquay

A flight from Antigua was diverted to Newcastle this morning because of the disruption at Gatwick airport after drones were seen over the airfield.

Gatwick's runway remains closed after two of the devices were seen nearby.

A spokeswoman for Newcastle Airport said the British Airways flight landed at 08:30.

She said the passengers were still on the plane and it was hoped they would fly back to Gatwick once it is reopened.

She said coaches were on standby outside Newcastle Airport as well in case they were needed to take passengers to Gatwick.

There has been a sharp rise in recent years.

Martin Skarp is at Gatwick's north terminal with his family and he tells the BBC:

“I have been here at the airport with my wife and two young kids since 5am. I'm from Sweden and live and work in the UK. We are hoping to fly to Copenhagen to get to my parents for Christmas.”

He adds there is a “very poor information flow with flights just getting moved back with no communication".

A Gatwick employee near him has a megaphone and is reading out flights that have been cancelled, but there has been "no announcement on the PA system".

Image source, Martin Skarp

@TheRealDude78 shared this video on Twitter

Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg says she "really feels for the passengers" at Gatwick and adds police are "working hard" to ensure the airport opens "as soon as it is safe to do so".

Image source, PA

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BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat's Will Chalk describes the scene at Gatwick Airport:

"It’s absolute chaos here… but most people are being very stoic and letting out the odd wry smile.

"There are queues basically everywhere – but not everyone is entirely certain what they’re queuing for.

"It’s the families with young children you feel for most.

"Earlier we chatted to two parents who’d waited 12 months – before last night telling their kids they were surprising them with a trip to Lapland to meet Santa.

"Then this morning they’ve had to tell them it might be off."

Image source, Will Chalk

Crawley MP, Conservative Henry Smith, has said on Twitter he believes the disruption at the airport is the result of a "deliberate criminal act".

Police have not confirmed this.

Ollie Witchell, 27, a teacher from Lightwater in Surrey, was due to fly out to Barbados to work on a cruise ship for two weeks.

"My flight was due to depart at 10:35 GMT, all I've been told is there'll be more information at 13:35 GMT. It's getting much busier here now, lots of standing around and the communication hasn't been great to be honest.

"There are about 15 of us here that are due to be on board the cruise ship at 08:00 tomorrow morning. If this delay continues we might not make it, we're potentially going to have to intercept the ship after it's left and that isn't going to look great.

"I know it's for safety reasons and obviously I'd rather be safe but it just shows things need to change in the future. The law and our infrastructure haven't kept up with technology."

More passengers at Gatwick have written to the BBC with their experiences of the disruption

Andreas and his girlfriend Natalie have been waiting at Gatwick airport since 04:00 GMT for a flight to Athens, to visit family.

“The airport is packed, people are sitting on stairs, in the door ways, toilets are packed.”

Kicki Hansard, meanwhile, was due to fly to Swedish Lapland, Asele with her husband and two children Lucy, 20, and Cecilia, 18, to spend Christmas with her family.

Their Easyjet flight was cancelled and the alternative offered was on 27 December, the day they were due to return.

They have spent £2,200 on new flights from Heathrow this morning to Umea.

Image source, Reuters

Gatwick Airport says thousands of people have had their travel plans disrupted after reports of drones flying near the airfield.

Anyone flying a drone in the UK needs to follow some basic rules.

The drone must always be kept in sight, and must be flown no higher than 400ft (122.9m), or further than 500m away.

Drone users should not fly near airports or other aircraft.

Thousands of passengers at Gatwick Airport are experiencing flight disruption after drones were seen over the airfield.

Gatwick's runway remains closed after two of the devices were seen nearby.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "Absolutely, nothing to suggest that this is terrorism-related."