London Gatwick – the UK’s second-busiest airport – has issued an urgent alert to airline operations teams warning that technical problems at one of the airport’s two fuel farms have sharply reduced supplies of aviation kerosene. According to an internal memo seen by The Sun and confirmed by an airport spokesperson, carriers were told on Sunday morning (2 August) that Gatwick “has a shortage of fuel for the next two days” and urged to ‘uplift maximum possible fuel at out-stations.’ Airlines operating long-haul services to Asia, Africa and the Americas are considered most at risk because wide-body aircraft often need to refuel at Gatwick for their return sectors. Industry sources say engineers are working “around the clock” to fix the fault, which is believed to lie with a pumping system that transfers fuel from on-airport storage tanks to the hydrant network beneath the stands. Gatwick’s contingency plan involves asking pilots to tanker additional fuel from their departure points, but performance-limited aircraft may still need to refuel on arrival – especially if headwinds or weather diversions increase burn rates. Several carriers have already filed revised flight plans, adding technical stops in Shannon and Madrid to top up, while cargo operators are considering routing via East Midlands or Liège. Although Gatwick says all flights are currently operating, travel-management companies are advising corporate travellers to check itineraries and build in extra buffer time. A sustained shortage could trigger cascading disruption similar to the 2019 Heathrow hydrant failure, when more than 200 flights were cancelled in 48 hours. The alert also comes at peak holiday season, with passenger volumes already strained by staff shortages and air-traffic delays linked to the Iran Strait crisis that has doubled jet-fuel prices. For mobility managers the implications are immediate: • Risk of missed connections for employees transiting via Gatwick; • Potential duty-of-care exposure if crew-duty limits force unscheduled layovers; • Higher ticket prices if airlines add fuel surcharges or re-route through alternative hubs; and • Knock-on effects on cargo capacity that could delay time-critical shipments accompanying project teams. Practical steps recommended by travel experts include booking refundable fares where possible, monitoring NOTAMs for fuel-uplift restrictions, and advising travellers to avoid tight connections to regional UK airports. Gatwick Airport Limited says it is “working closely with external suppliers to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and minimise any potential disruption,” but warns that contingency measures may remain in place until at least Tuesday morning (4 August).
Source: The Sun
