Bristol Airport in the United Kingdom suspended all flight operations on Friday evening following a defect discovered on part of its runway, leaving passengers stranded and flights diverted to other airports.
The airport halted departures and arrivals at about 6:08pm on Friday and initially said the suspension would remain in place until 8am Saturday.
GB News on Saturday reported that the disruption was extended into Saturday morning as officials carried out inspection and repair work on the affected section.
The airport said the suspension was a precautionary measure and that safety remained its priority.
Passengers have blasted the lack of clear communication | PA
It directed passengers to contact their airlines for information about individual flights, while EasyJet warned travellers flying to and from Bristol to expect continued disruption.
Passengers described confusion at the airport during the initial shutdown, with some reporting limited information and difficulty retrieving their luggage.
Richard Broadbent, who was due to travel to Newcastle with his partner and daughter, said passengers were moved to a crowded area after flights were cancelled.
She said suddenly all flights were cancelled and all passengers were moved to one place down at ground level, and it was absolutely packed,” he told the BBC.
Broadbent said alarms later sounded and passengers became distressed.
Another passenger, Paul Smith, who had planned to travel to Glasgow for his son’s 20th birthday, criticised the communication and support provided during the disruption.
“The communication, advice and support for passengers has been really poor,” Smith told the BBC.
More than one passenger also reported being unable to obtain clear information about the situation.
Smith said travellers were left in the baggage reclaim area trying to locate their luggage, while another passenger posted on X asking the airport for information after being stuck for several hours.
The airport said the problem involved a defect on the runway but did not provide details on what caused it.
Some passengers described the affected section as a “hole in the runway”, although the airport itself did not use that description in its statement.
Flights heading towards Bristol on Friday evening were reportedly diverted to London Gatwick, Birmingham and Cardiff.
The airport has advised affected passengers to contact their airlines for the latest information on individual flights.
At the time of the report, there was no indication of when normal operations would fully resume.
