Passengers stranded at Gatwick for 'days' as Nigerian airline grounds flights

Hundreds of passengers trying to get home for Christmas have been left stranded at Gatwick - some for up to five days.

Around 800 passengers booked to travel with Nigerian airline Med-View have not been able to leave the UK since 22 December.

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Gatwick said in a statement that "ongoing technical problems" continued to affect flight departures.

The airport wrote: "Passengers due to travel to Lagos with Med-View Airline are advised that due to ongoing technical problems there are no scheduled Med-View flights on Thursday December 28 or Friday December 29.

"At this stage Gatwick is not able to provide any further information on future Med-View flights planned between now and the end of the year."

Ola Dami, 26, of Coventry, missed his family's Christmas in Lagos. Speaking to The Sun, he said: "I feel abandoned and disrespected.

"I've been told there will be no flights until next year."

Another man who paid £1000 to fly on 23 December said: "This airline should be shut down.

"They are selling tickets still despite hundreds of people waiting around here for days on end."

Another passenger, who was supposed to be attending her uncle's funeral, said that "tensions have been raised" and that "hundreds of people have been sleeping on the floor of the terminal for days on end".

Passengers also took to social media to share their frustration.

According to the Standard, Gatwick said: "Due to a lack of available aircraft, a significant number of Med-View passengers have not flown out, from Gatwick, as expected since Friday December 22. The vast majority of these passengers have left the airport to make alternative travel plans, with the number of Med-View passengers currently at the airport in single figures.

"We sympathise with affected passengers and share their disappointment with the delays experienced by Med-View during the last few days. Passengers have been provided, by Gatwick, with vouchers for food and water during their time at the airport and hotel accommodation on Wednesday December 27."