How Gatwick prepares for the worst winter weather

Millions of people jetted off from UK airports last Christmas, with Gatwick being one of the busiest.

But much of the work to ensure its smooth running throughout winter is carried out behind-the-scenes and away from the view of passengers.

The West Sussex facility held a training exercise on Thursday in preparation of whatever adverse weather might come its way this festive season, be it snow, ice, fog or heavy rain.

"Hosting live operations days like this help us and our teams plan for the highest level of disruption," said Charlotte Warner, Gatwick's aerodrome contingency coordinator.

Ms Warner said Gatwick now has 70 vehicles and 450 staff members, dubbed Polar Bears, who work to keep the runway and airplanes snow free.

Weekly drills take place between November and March.

There are also 50 volunteers from Passenger Operations, called Yetis, who grit 27 miles (43km) of Gatwick's road network, including bus routes and car parks.

The winter fleet includes snow ploughs, compact jet sweepers, de-icers, tractors and snow cutters, supported by landside gritters and clearance machinery.

Ms Warner said Gatwick works closely with the Met Office.

"We're in a cold snap at the moment, but temperatures should be getting milder towards the weekend and into next week," she said.

"If there's going to be any wintery activity I think it'll most likely to be in January."

Gatwick's worst snow disruption was in 2010 when the airfield closed for almost two days, leading to 680 flight cancellations and 300 delays.

Airport managers later visited Norway, Sweden and Finland to learn how they handle icy conditions and upgraded equipment as a result.

Chief operating officer Mark Johnston said: "We have invested £17 million in the last few years to make sure that we've got all the right kit.

"Every provision has been put in place to make sure that we will keep this airfield open and safe for our passengers."

Asked if it could be guaranteed that passengers will get to their destinations no matter the weather this winter, he replied: "I can give as close as to a cast-iron guarantee as possible".

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