Arabic version: انقطاع المياه في غاتويك يغلق المطاعم ويعطل المسافرين

According to BBC News, Gatwick Airport’s two terminals lost running water on Sunday morning after a power failure at the Bough Beech treatment works, causing long toilet queues and the closure of restaurants and bars.

Gatwick said the supply issue was still causing disruption on Sunday afternoon. It said staff were supporting passengers and handing out bottled water, while some restaurant partners had opened to provide additional seating. The airport said it was working with SES Water to restore supplies as quickly as possible.

SES Water said the power outage had been fixed and its Bough Beech works were running again, but water needed to be treated before services could return to normal. The company said some customers in parts of Kent, Surrey and south London had low pressure or a temporary loss of supply, and it was delivering bottled water to vulnerable customers.

Passengers reported confusion over the disruption, with closed lounges, bars and restaurants and limited places to sit. BBC reporter Adam Dowling said a flight arriving from Valencia had been delayed and passengers were told landing slots were being moved to reduce the number of flights coming into Gatwick. The BBC contacted the airport to confirm whether flights had been disrupted.

EasyJet said bag-drop desks were temporarily opening two hours before departure rather than three, advising passengers not to arrive earlier. Gatwick also advised people travelling to the airport not to arrive early.