The Covid outbreak has caused air traffic control at London’s Gatwick Airport to slow down for the third time this month.
According to the Independent, staff illness has caused the speed of the flow of flights using the world’s busiest runway to be reduced.
Fifty flights to and from Sussex Airport were canceled or diverted, while many others were delayed for up to seven hours. According to approximate estimates, about 8,000 passengers were affected.
Eight flights were canceled between Gatwick and Belfast: six to and from the Northern Ireland capital’s international airport, and two flights to Belfast City.
Multiple cancellations were also made on easyJet flights from Edinburgh, Geneva, and Paris CDG.
A spokesman for London Gatwick Airport said: “Due to sudden illness in the control tower, including cases of Covid-19, temporary air traffic control restrictions have been put in place. This has caused some delays and cancellations by airlines. We have made every effort to minimize any inconvenience, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. The control tower is fully staffed this morning.”