A water supply failure has left Gatwick airport without working toilets, bars or restaurants, leaving passengers unable to get hot drinks, wash their hands or fill water bottles on Sunday. The disruption, which also affected the wider Sussex and Kent area, caused significant inconvenience to travellers at the start of their journeys, with some describing chaotic scenes and a lack of communication from the airport.

Gatwick said the fault originated in the Horley area and was affecting both terminals, with bottled water being handed out and other contingency measures put in place while the cause was investigated. Water company SES Water reported interruptions across the TN11, RH1, RH6 and RH10 postcode areas and said engineers were working to restore supplies. Passengers, including a traveller heading to New York from the south terminal, described empty bars unable to serve drinks and families forced to sit on the floor after restaurant seating areas were closed.