Thousands of Gatwick passengers left without luggage after baggage belt failure

Angry passengers took to social media to complain about the delay, with several customers saying they had nothing to wear for their respective weddings

A problem with the baggage belt has left passengers departing without their luggage (Simon Calder)

A baggage belt failure at Gatwick airport left many passengers departing without their luggage today.

The systems failure, which occurred at Britain’s second-busiest airport, affected flights departing and arriving into the North Terminal.

Passengers attempting to check in with one of the airlines based in the North Terminal reported long delays for the bag drop, while those who boarded flights found themselves landing without their luggage.

Airlines including easyJet, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic and Qatar Airways are among the carriers that operate from the North Terminal.

EasyJet, which is one of Gatwick’s largest airlines, tweeted that passengers could expect “some flights departing without all luggage stowed in the hold”.

“Due to a baggage belt failure at @Gatwick_Airport’s North Terminal, like other airlines, we are experiencing delays at bag drop and in the delivery of hold luggage to departing aircraft. This may result in some flights departing without all luggage stowed in the hold,” it said.

The budget airline warned that customers should allow extra time for dropping their bags if travelling today.

Angry passengers took to social media to complain about the delay, with several customers saying they had nothing to wear for their respective weddings.

Others said that they had landed at holiday destinations with nothing to wear.

A Gatwick spokesperson said: “An earlier issue with the check-in baggage system in Gatwick’s North Terminal has been resolved and the airport is operating as normal.

“A number of flights left without luggage as a result of this morning’s fault, however these bags are currently being repatriated and will be returned to passengers as soon as possible.

“Gatwick would like to apologise to any passengers who have been inconvenienced as a result of this issue.”