Gatwick offers £100 compensation for Christmas Eve delays

London Gatwick is offering £100 of high street vouchers as compensation to every passenger whose flight was cancelled on Christmas Eve in a "gesture of goodwill". Some 62 departures and 59 arrivals were cancelled on one of the busiest days of the year after heavy rain and strong winds caused all local waterways around the airport to flood. As a result, significant damage to electrical substations and switch rooms caused the partial loss of power to LGW's North Terminal. Passengers whose flights were cancelled due to these "operational issues" should email [email protected] with evidence of their booking on a flight due to depart from or arrive at Gatwick on December 24 together with their postal address. Stewart Wingate, Gatwick's chief executive, said: "We appreciate that lots of our passengers were travelling to be with their families over the festive period and we are sorry that flights were cancelled and passengers left disappointed, particularly at this time of the year." A report into the Christmas disruption at Gatwick is due to be published in February. Meanwhile, passengers looking to travel between London and Gatwick by rail over the New Year period are being forced to either use bus replacement services or find alternative modes of transport (see news, December 30). gatwickairport.com Graham Smith