Airlines have been warned that the UK's second largest airport is facing a fuel shortage, sparking fears of severe disruption during the ongoing summer holidays.
Gatwick Airport recently issued an alert to pilots instructing them to load up fuel at other airports where possible while en-route to the airport.
On Sunday 2 July, The Sun reported that the memo sent out to carriers stated that "Gatwick has a shortage of fuel for the next two days" and to "please uplift max possible fuel at outstations". Elsewhere, a second alert told airline chiefs of "potential disruption to the Gatwick fuel supply".
It is believed that the warning is likely to hit long-haul flights the hardest, while pilots will attempt to stock as much fuel from foreign destinations as they can without breaching weight restrictions.
A source told The Sun that most flights beyond 2.5 hours will still need extra fuel in Gatwick and that pilots will be trying to supplement as much fuel as they can down-route to protect the long-haul flights and stretch out supply.
The issue has been linked to a major fuel farm which supplies Gatwick, and engineers are said to be working against the clock to resolve the crisis.
Earlier this summer, there were fears that the Iran War and closure of the Strait of Hormuz would lead to aviation fuel shortages, with prices nearly doubling - however, the current fuel crisis doesn’t appear to be directly linked to the ongoing conflict.