Summer holidays could be upended for thousands of people as the UK’s second largest airport is running out of fuel.
Gatwick Airport pilots have been warned of a fuel shortage and urged to stock up on extra fuel tanks from other airports.
A London Gatwick spokesperson confirmed to Metro that airlines have been advised to keep an eye on fuel availability.
The shortage, they added, has been caused by a ‘technical issue’ at a fuel farm that engineers are fixing.
‘We are working closely with external suppliers to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and minimise any potential disruption,’ the spokesperson added.
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‘All airlines are operating as normal.’
Gatwick’s arrivals and departure boards are reporting no significant delays or cancellations at the time of writing.
An internal memo obtained by The Sun says the shortage is expected to last ‘for two days’.
The date of the memo is not specified, but the tabloid published its story today.
‘Please uplift max possible fuel at outstations,’ the memo adds.
An ’emergency’ notification was also issued to aviation bosses, a senior source told The Sun.
‘Long-haul flights are under the most threat,’ the insider said, saying that pilots fuelling their tanks in other airports will be held back by weight restrictions.
‘Most flights beyond 2.5 hours will still need extra fuel in Gatwick.
‘The fuel shortage warning came with many long-haul flights already en route to the UK, meaning crews were unable to bring extra fuel with them.’
The insider added that disruption could flare from Monday.
While fears of a jet fuel shortage have haunted the UK for months amid the US-Iran war, Gatwick’s fuel being in short supply is a separate issue.
Iran responded to the US and Israel’s deadly February attacks by closing the Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world’s oil once flowed.
The waterway is where many European airlines get their fuel from.
Global prices of jet fuel have swelled to nearly £290 a gallon in response, according to the Platts Jet Fuel Price Index.
Jet fuel is one of the highest operating costs for airlines, with many now passing costs and profit fears on to travellers.
Flight costs have soared in the months since the war erupted in February to an average of about £260, according to the travel search engine Kayak.
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