A passenger stuck at Gatwick Airport amid mass flight cancellations took it upon himself to help overwhelmed easyJet staff communicate with hundreds of frustrated travellers, earning praise online as the "hero of Gatwick." Kurtis Toy, a 36-year-old cyber security consultant, had just been removed from a delayed Aberdeen flight when he noticed two easyJet employees struggling to relay information to crowds of passengers without adequate volume or support. His decision to step in and act as an impromptu announcer highlights how ordinary members of the public sometimes fill gaps left by overstretched airline staff during major disruption.

Mr Toy was among roughly 330,000 passengers affected on the first day of chaos caused by significant technical issues with air traffic control systems. After going more than four hours without food on his cancelled flight, he offered to shout updates for the two beleaguered staff members, drawing applause from fellow passengers and encouraging him to continue for around 12 hours. Footage of his efforts, including him firmly telling one aggressive passenger to change his tone, was viewed six million times on TikTok, with his husband and sister among those praising him online, though Mr Toy himself dismissed the "hero" label as simply "loud customer service."