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Gatwick Airport suffers major water outage, leaving passengers without running water

Published July 26, 2026 at 4:03 PM UTC

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Gatwick Airport, one of the UK's busiest travel hubs, was left without running water on Thursday after a major infrastructure failure. The outage affected both the North and South terminals, forcing the airport to close toilets and suspend food and drink services. Passengers were advised to bring their own bottled water, and portable toilets were brought in as emergency measures. Airlines continued to operate flights, but delays and cancellations were reported as passengers faced long queues and limited facilities. The airport said it was working urgently with the local water company to restore supply, but did not give a timeline for repairs. The disruption has raised concerns about the resilience of critical airport infrastructure, especially during the summer holiday season when passenger numbers peak. Health officials reminded travelers to maintain hand hygiene, recommending hand sanitizer as a temporary alternative. The incident also highlighted the vulnerability of large transport hubs to utility failures, prompting questions about contingency plans.