Gatwick Airport news – is your flight cancelled and how do you get compensation for delays?

HUNDREDS of flights were affected by the chaos at Gatwick - but which ones have been cancelled?

What caused the delay, what have officials said, and when will things return to normal? Here is all the info...

What flights were cancelled?

Thousands of holiday makers were affected by Gatwick Airport being forced to close in the lead up to Christmas.

A spokesperson said: "Following reports of two drones flying over the Gatwick Airfield, we have had to suspend flights while this is investigated.

"We apologise to any any affected passengers for this inconvenience but the safety is our foremost priority."

But as of Saturday December 22, officials are hoping that the flights have resumed as normal.

A spokesperson added: "Our runway is open and we aim to run a full schedule on Saturday 22 December.

"Passengers should expect some delays and cancellations as we continue to recover our operations following three days of disruption and are advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport.

"Safety is Gatwick’s top priority and we are grateful for passengers’ continued patience as we work to get them to their final destination in time for Christmas."

Travellers had been told to expect disruption to last until Christmas Eve with pressure mounting on the authorities to catch the rogue drone operator.

The military have assembled an arsenal which includes a state-of-the art tracking system used by troops to liberate the Iraqi city of Mosul, from jihadis.

The trackers will be deployed with drone killing tech to disable the remote-control aircraft.

What caused the disruption?

Both runways were shut after a pair of illegal drones were flown over the airport.

Sussex Police said the suspects responsible for the security breach deliberately tried to delay flights.

Cops now have 20 units hunting for the drone operators - who could face up to five years in prison if caught.

It is understood the system will use 3D radars to search for drones in the area - before identifying them with tracking algorithms.

The equipment could also have sensors built in to spot the remote-controlled aircraft visually.

Once detected, a jamming transmission will disrupt the drone’s flight - causing a crash landing.

However, it appears the authorities have employed a number of systems to detect the drones.

Among the technology spotted at Gatwick was a 'Drone Dome'.

The system, costing £15.8million, uses radar and frequency jammers to find and overload a drone.

But instead of causing the aircraft to crash, the tech allows it to perform a ‘soft landing’ – meaning it can be retrieved undamaged.

My flight's been delayed. Can I get my money back or a new flight?

If your EU flight has been delayed for more than five hours, you are entitled to a refund if you no longer wish to travel.

You will also get a refund for any unused parts of your booking - for example the return flight - and a flight back to your departure airport if you’ve already completed part of your journey.

If your flight is delayed, you may also get money for food, drink, communications and accommodation if the delay is overnight.

This kicks in after delays of two hours for short-haul flights, three hours for medium-haul flights, and four hours for long-haul journeys.

Your airline may give you a voucher for this in the airport or you may need to pay yourself and reclaim the cash later - in this scenario, make sure you hold on to receipts.

The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said: "Under EU261 regulations, passengers that no longer wish to take their flight can contact their airline for a refund.

"For those passengers that do still wish to fly, we advise them to contact their airline to understand the options available.”

My flight's been cancelled. Can I get my money back or a new flight?

If your flight is cancelled you can get a full refund if you no longer want to travel - this includes a refund for the return leg.

If you still want to travel, you can ask to be put on an alternative flight, although it’s up to you whether to fly as soon as possible after the cancelled flight or at a later date.

If you opt for a later flight, you are also entitled to care and assistance. This usually means food, drink, access to communication - for example this could be by refunding the reasonable cost of phone calls - and accommodation if you have to stay overnight.

Your airline may give you a voucher for this in the airport or you may need to pay yourself and reclaim the cash later - in this scenario, make sure you hold on to receipts.

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