---
title: "Gatwick Runway Closure Compensation: Your Rights"
url: https://flightcompensations.com/blog/gatwick-runway-closure-2026-09-06
author: "Jaacov Sonenblick"
published: 2026-09-07
updated: 2026-09-07
publisher: FlightCompensations
summary: "A runway closure at London Gatwick on 6 September 2026 delayed around nine in ten flights and caused a run of cancellations. Here's what Gatwick runway closure compensation rules mean for passengers, and how to claim what you're owed."
---

# Gatwick Runway Closure Compensation: Your Rights

A runway closure at London Gatwick on 6 September 2026 delayed around nine in ten flights and caused a run of cancellations. Here's what Gatwick runway closure compensation rules mean for passengers, and how to claim what you're owed.

On 6 September 2026, a runway closure at London Gatwick disrupted around 90% of flights, delaying and cancelling services across multiple airlines. Passengers asking about Gatwick runway closure compensation should know that fixed compensation is unlikely, because runway closures count as extraordinary circumstances, but you still keep your right to care, rerouting, or a refund.

## What happened at Gatwick

On 6 September 2026, a runway closure at London Gatwick disrupted the airport's schedule. Reports suggest the closure delayed around 90% of flights on the day. The closure affected departures and arrivals across multiple airlines, including easyJet and British Airways.

As of 7 September 2026, nobody yet knows when normal runway operations will resume, or what caused the closure. If you're travelling to or from Gatwick over this period, expect knock-on delays and some cancellations while the airport works through the backlog.

## What we are seeing

Our monitoring recorded 10 cancellations and 6 delays of three hours or more at London Gatwick in the last 48 hours. This covers a mix of short-haul routes to and from France, Hungary, and Spain, alongside at least one long-delayed British Airways service.

A sample of the flights affected:

- U28450, Nice to Gatwick, cancelled
- U28736, Budapest to Gatwick, cancelled
- U28427, Gatwick to Nice, cancelled
- U28735, Gatwick to Budapest, cancelled, with an earlier attempt delayed by 2 hours
- BA2742, Gatwick to Thessaloniki, delayed by 3 hours 10 minutes
- U28446, Nantes to Gatwick, cancelled
- U28445, Gatwick to Nantes, cancelled
- U28014, Valencia to Gatwick, cancelled

This is a snapshot of what our systems have picked up, not a complete list of every disrupted flight at the airport.

## Does Gatwick runway closure compensation apply?

A runway closure is not a strike by an airline's own staff. Regulation (EC) 261/2004 ("EU261") and its UK equivalent, UK261, both treat airport closures, air traffic control problems, and similar operational issues as an extraordinary circumstance. This is a legal term for events outside an airline's control. Airlines don't have to pay fixed compensation when extraordinary circumstances caused the disruption, even when it's severe and widespread.

This differs from a strike by an airline's own pilots or cabin crew, where the airline usually owes fixed compensation, as the Court of Justice confirmed in Airhelp v SAS (2021). Our [strike guide](/airline-strike-compensation) explains that distinction in more detail. A runway closure simply isn't that kind of event, so Gatwick runway closure compensation claims on this basis rarely succeed.

There's also a 14-day rule worth knowing. If an airline announces a cancellation 14 or more days in advance, it never owes fixed compensation, whatever the cause. This closure began on 6 September and is very recent, so the 14-day rule isn't why compensation is unlikely here. The extraordinary nature of the closure is the real reason.

## What you are owed regardless

Even when fixed compensation doesn't apply, your airline still owes you two things.

First, a choice: rerouting to your destination at the earliest opportunity, rerouting at a later date you choose, or a full refund of the unused part of your ticket if you no longer want to travel. This applies whether you're chasing an easyJet cancellation refund or a British Airways delay compensation claim; the right to choose stays the same.

Second, care while you wait. This normally means meals, refreshments, and hotel accommodation with transport if you need to stay overnight, for as long as the delay lasts.

Keep every receipt for meals, transport, and accommodation you pay for yourself. Airlines will generally reimburse reasonable costs, but only if you can show what you spent and why. Photograph receipts as you go, so nothing gets lost or fades before you claim it back.

## Compensation by distance under EU261

When extraordinary circumstances don't apply, EU261 sets fixed compensation by flight distance. It's worth knowing these figures even here, since they show what you'd be owed if the cause turned out to be within an airline's control.

| Flight distance | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 |
| 1,500-3,500 km | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | €600 |

These amounts apply to delays of three hours or more and to cancellations, but only when extraordinary circumstances EU261 rules don't excuse the airline.

## What to do now

1. Check your flight at our [claim tool](/claim) to see whether it's affected and what applies to it.
2. Ask your airline for rerouting or a refund as soon as you know your flight is cancelled or badly delayed.
3. Request meals and hotel accommodation from the airline directly if you're stuck waiting, rather than assuming you must pay and claim later.
4. Keep your boarding passes, cancellation notices, and any written communication from the airline.
5. If you paid for care yourself, gather your receipts and submit them to the airline promptly.
6. If your delay reaches three hours or more without a cancellation, our [delay guide](/flight-delay-compensation) explains how airlines normally treat that situation, including Gatwick flight delay compensation cases like this one.

## If your flight is cancelled later this week

If the airport continues to recover and the airline cancels your flight in the coming days, the same principles apply. An airport-caused disruption is unlikely to bring fixed compensation, but rerouting, refunds, and care still stand. Our [cancelled-flight guide](/flight-cancellation-compensation) walks through the process in more detail.

Keep your booking confirmation, any cancellation email, and details of what the airline offered you at the airport. If it later turns out that staff or ground handling problems specific to your airline played a part, that record will make it far easier to establish what you're owed.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I get compensation for my Gatwick flight being cancelled due to the runway closure?

Usually not. Regulators treat a runway closure as an extraordinary circumstance, so fixed compensation normally doesn't apply. The airline still owes you rerouting or a refund, plus meals and hotel costs while you wait.

### My flight was delayed by more than three hours because of this closure. Am I owed anything?

The airline owes you care, such as meals and, if needed, hotel accommodation, while you wait. Fixed compensation for the delay itself is unlikely, because an airport closure, not the airline, caused it.

### How long will the disruption at Gatwick last?

Nobody knows yet how long the disruption will last. Our monitoring will keep tracking cancellations and long delays at the airport as the situation develops, so check back for updates.

### What if the airline refuses to pay for my hotel or meals?

Keep your receipts and submit a claim afterwards. The airline must cover reasonable costs for care during a disruption, even when it doesn't owe fixed compensation for the cause itself.

### Does it matter which airline I was flying with?

Not for this particular cause. Because the closure affects the airport rather than any one airline's own staff or systems, the extraordinary circumstances reasoning applies whichever airline you booked with.


## Sources

- Gatwick runway closure leaves 90% of flights delayed — thetraveler.org, 2026-09-06: https://www.thetraveler.org/gatwick-runway-closure-leaves-90-of-flights-delayed-2/

Read the full page with the claim check at https://flightcompensations.com/blog/gatwick-runway-closure-2026-09-06