Brits departing for a bank holiday break from London’s Gatwick Airport have reported chaotic scenes after being told they can’t take their bags on the plane with them.
Photos being shared on social media on Friday showed hundreds of suitcases piled up at the airport following a baggage system fault affecting both the North and South terminal.
The airport said in a statement that it was working to “resolve the issue” but to “ensure that everyone gets away on time, some flights are departing without bags”.
“Bags will be forwarded to passengers as soon as possible at their destination. We apologise for any inconvenience,” the statement concluded.
The fault was with the conveyer belt system that sorts bags before they arrive at the aircraft so they are being processed manually, the Evening Standard reported.
An airport representative told the newspaper they do not yet know how many passengers will be affected.
Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal last year opened a £186 million “state of the art” terminal link including a brand new baggage handling system, the airport’s biggest single investment under its new ownership.
Airline passengers called the fault a “joke” and complained of “very bad service” at the airport.