Gatwick UK261 Cancellations: Rights
Gatwick UK261 cancellation rights: London Gatwick is the UK's second-busiest airport and a major easyJet and British Airways hub. UK261 governs passenger compensation for cancellations departing LGW.
UK261 at London Gatwick
London Gatwick (LGW) is the UK's second-busiest airport with 280,000+ annual flights. UK Regulation (EC) 261/2004 applies to any flight departing LGW, regardless of airline. For arrivals at LGW, UK261 applies if the operating carrier is UK-based. A Gatwick UK261 cancellation claim follows the same path as any other UK departure: airline first, CAA escalation second.
UK261 Compensation Amounts
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Under 1,500 km: £220 per passenger (Gatwick to Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin).
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1,500 to 3,500 km: £350 per passenger (Gatwick to Athens, Canary Islands, Istanbul).
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Over 3,500 km: £520 per passenger (Gatwick to JFK, Orlando, Dubai).
See uk261 amount tiers after brexit for the full tier structure.
Top Carriers at LGW
Gatwick's largest carriers and their UK261 behavior:
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easyJet (largest LGW carrier). See easyJet UK UK261 claim fees and timelines.
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British Airways (dual-hub with LHR). See british airways uk261 claim fees and timelines.
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TUI Airways (holiday carrier). See tui airways uk261 claim fees and timelines.
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Norwegian, Wizz Air, Ryanair with smaller LGW presences.
Gatwick Cancellation Drivers
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Thunderstorm cells (summer): convective weather closes runway intermittently.
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ATC staffing shortages: NATS-related delays.
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Baggage system outages: 2025 saw multiple LGW baggage system failures forcing cancellations.
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Single runway: LGW has only one active runway at a time. A single obstructed-runway event cascades quickly.
LGW's single-runway constraint makes it more cancellation-prone than LHR. Weather or operational issues affect the whole airport, not just individual carriers.
Filing a Gatwick UK261 Claim
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File with the operating airline first.
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Allow 30 days for first response.
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Escalate to the CAA if the airline denies or ignores.
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Collect duty-of-care receipts for meals and hotels if the cancellation triggered overnight disruption.
UK Small Claims Court Backup
If CAA escalation stalls, UK small claims court is an option. Small claims tracks handle amounts up to £10,000. A UK261 claim for £520 fits cleanly. See uk small claims court for uk261 claims for the process.
File Your Gatwick UK261 Claim
Check your flight and we handle the UK261 filing, CAA escalation, and small claims option. For the full framework, see the denied boarding compensation guide and the UK261 passenger rights pillar. For seasonal guides, see uk261 passenger rights christmas edition.