Gatwick Airport has warned airlines that it has a shortage of jet fuel for the next two days after a technical fault affecting supply to the airport, and has told carriers to monitor fuel availability.
In a memo circulated to crews, the airport said: “For attention of all crews: Gatwick has a shortage of fuel for the next two days. Please uplift max possible fuel at outstations.”
A separate memo warned of a “potential disruption to the Gatwick fuel supply”.
A spokesperson for Gatwick said: “Following a technical issue impacting fuel supply to the airport, airlines have been advised to monitor fuel availability. We are working closely with external suppliers to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and minimise any potential disruption. All airlines are operating as normal.”
It is understood airport engineers are working to fix a technical problem at one of Gatwick’s fuel farms.
All carriers operating from the airport are set to be affected, with long-haul flights most exposed as airlines divert fuel to UK airports from abroad. Gatwick’s largest operators include easyJet, British Airways, Wizz Air, TUI and Jet2.
The instruction to uplift fuel at outstations requires aircraft to load extra fuel at their departure airport rather than refuelling on arrival in the UK. That practice is constrained by aircraft weight limits and adds to fuel burn.
An airline source told The Sun: “Pilots will try and take on as much fuel as they can from their foreign destinations to bring back to the UK but they will be limited by factors such as the maximum take off weight and the maximum landing weight back at Gatwick.”
The same source said the warning came as several long-haul flights bound for Britain were already in the air, meaning crews could not carry extra fuel to resupply other services. They said there was a “good chance of disruption” to passengers, particularly from Monday.
The shortage is not linked to jet fuel supply constraints caused by the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran moved to close the strait in April, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas normally passes.
Gatwick is the UK’s second-largest airport by passenger numbers, according to Civil Aviation Authority data. The warning was issued during the school summer holidays.
The airport has faced a run of operational problems. It was named the UK’s least punctual major airport for the second year running in CAA figures for 2024, with departures leaving an average of 23 minutes late.
Last week, passengers were left without water and power for a period following a failure at a treatment works serving the airport. Travellers were unable to flush toilets, wash their hands or refill water bottles, and reported restaurants, bars and coffee kiosks closing as taps ran dry. Only pre-made food such as sandwiches remained on sale after cooking stopped.
Summer schedules at UK airports have been disrupted by supply and staffing problems outside airlines’ control in previous years. In July 2025, Ryanair and easyJet cancelled nearly 450 flights between them ahead of a French air traffic control strike.
Gatwick has not said how long it expects the fault to take to resolve.
