London Gatwick Airport to reduce air traffic by more than 800 flights a month due to lack of staff

London Gatwick Airport has decided to reduce air travel capacity during the summer to minimize long queues, delays and last-minute cancellations, after hundreds of cancellations ruined the travel plans of thousands of tourists.

The number of daily flights to London's second busiest airport will be reduced to around 825 in July and 850 in August, down from 900 daily take-offs and landings reported in the past.

The airport said it had reopened its south terminal and had already recruited about 400 new employees after reviewing its operations in a move to provide passengers with "a more reliable and better standard of service".

Commenting on the decision, Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate said: "It is clear that during the jubilee week a number of companies operating at the airport have struggled, in particular, due to a lack of staff. By taking decisive action now, we aim to help groundhandling operators - and also our airlines - better match their flight schedules with available resources."

He also said that there has been a "remarkable turnaround" in the number of flights, which has increased by 400% since January and until now. "As has already been the case, the vast majority of summer flights will operate normallyWingate added.