{
 "archiveEntity": {
  "key": "airport-egkk",
  "kind": "airport",
  "label": "Gatwick Airport",
  "sourceIndex": 0
 },
 "assessment": null,
 "assessment_droneType_level": null,
 "assessment_droneType_range_high": null,
 "assessment_droneType_range_low": null,
 "assessment_droneType_subject": null,
 "assessment_operator_level": null,
 "assessment_operator_range_high": null,
 "assessment_operator_range_low": null,
 "assessment_operator_subject": null,
 "assessment_scale_version": null,
 "assessment_target_level": null,
 "assessment_target_range_high": null,
 "assessment_target_range_low": null,
 "assessment_target_subject": null,
 "attribution": "Not established in the cited sources.",
 "attributionSources": [],
 "attributionStatus": "none",
 "autoCheckedAt": null,
 "category": "airport",
 "checkedAt": "2026-10-15",
 "claims": [
  {
   "assessment": "supports",
   "axis": "impact",
   "claimant": "UK Home Office",
   "id": "impact-flights",
   "note": "Government statement; the disruption is established, while drone presence rests on reported sightings.",
   "originId": "home-office-stop-and-search-response",
   "quote": "between 19 and 21 December 2018, hundreds of flights were cancelled at Gatwick Airport, following reports of drone sightings close to the runway",
   "quoteCheckedAt": "2026-10-12",
   "quoteTranslation": {},
   "relay": "direct",
   "sourceIndex": 0,
   "statement": "Between 19 and 21 December 2018, hundreds of flights were cancelled at Gatwick after reports of drone sightings close to the runway."
  },
  {
   "assessment": "supports",
   "axis": "impact",
   "claimant": "UK Home Office",
   "id": "impact-scale",
   "note": "Scale of the disruption according to the Home Office.",
   "originId": "home-office-stop-and-search-response",
   "quote": "affecting about 140,000 passengers and over 1,000 flights",
   "quoteCheckedAt": "2026-10-12",
   "quoteTranslation": {},
   "relay": "direct",
   "sourceIndex": 0,
   "statement": "The disruption affected about 140,000 passengers and more than 1,000 flights."
  },
  {
   "assessment": "supports",
   "axis": "drone",
   "claimant": "UK Home Office",
   "id": "drone-government",
   "note": "Government characterisation; the dossier keeps drone presence at 'reported' because it rests on sighting reports.",
   "originId": "home-office-stop-and-search-response",
   "quote": "the misuse of drones caused significant disruption to Gatwick airport operations in December 2018",
   "quoteCheckedAt": "2026-10-12",
   "quoteTranslation": {},
   "relay": "direct",
   "sourceIndex": 0,
   "statement": "The government describes the disruption as caused by the misuse of drones."
  }
 ],
 "corroboration": "curated",
 "country": "United Kingdom",
 "countryCode": "GB",
 "date": "2018-12-19",
 "dateKind": "event",
 "droneStatus": "reported",
 "droneStatusSources": [
  1
 ],
 "droneTypes": [],
 "evidence": "The chief constable described illegal drone incursions and flight disruption. The cited minutes do not provide technical aircraft identification.",
 "followUp": [
  {
   "asOf": null,
   "claimant": "Sussex Police, quoted in PCC meeting minutes",
   "date": "2019-10-18",
   "id": "police-update",
   "note": "The date is the documented meeting update, not a finding that the investigation formally closed on that date. No identified suspect or conviction is inferred.",
   "originId": "sussex-police-september-2019-update",
   "quote": "there are no further realistic lines of enquiry at this time",
   "quoteCheckedAt": "2026-10-15",
   "relay": "relayed",
   "sourceIndex": 1,
   "stage": "investigation_update",
   "statement": "The meeting minutes recorded an earlier police statement that there were no further realistic lines of enquiry at that time."
  }
 ],
 "id": "gatwick-2018-12-19",
 "impact": "Hundreds of flights were cancelled between 19 and 21 December 2018.",
 "impactStatus": "confirmed",
 "impactStatusSources": [
  0,
  1
 ],
 "lat": 51.148,
 "locationPrecision": "point",
 "lon": -0.19,
 "media": [],
 "namedLocation": null,
 "operationalEffects": [
  {
   "asOf": null,
   "claimant": "Sussex Police chief constable, in PCC meeting minutes",
   "id": "closure-duration",
   "kind": "closure_duration",
   "note": "Historical account of the December 2018 closure, not a live count. The source does not supply exact start/end timestamps or a rolling count cutoff.",
   "originId": "sussex-pcc-2019-10-18",
   "periodEnd": null,
   "periodStart": null,
   "quantityText": "30 hours",
   "quote": "closed for 30 hours",
   "quoteCheckedAt": "2026-10-15",
   "relay": "relayed",
   "sourceIndex": 1,
   "statement": "The chief constable account recorded a 30-hour airport closure."
  }
 ],
 "outcome": [],
 "place": "Gatwick Airport",
 "plainSummary": {},
 "publisherMedia": [],
 "reportTiming": null,
 "review": "editor",
 "revision": 3,
 "scope": "single",
 "series": [],
 "sources": [
  {
   "family": "uk-home-office",
   "label": "UK Home Office · consultation response",
   "published": "2021-08-09",
   "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/police-stop-and-search-powers/outcome/consultation-response-accessible-version"
  },
  {
   "family": "sussex-police",
   "label": "Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner · chief constable account",
   "published": "2019-10-18",
   "url": "https://www.sussex-pcc.gov.uk/media/4422/10-pam-minutes-18102019.pdf"
  }
 ],
 "summary": "The UK government records widespread flight cancellations following reported drone sightings near the runway.",
 "timeline": [
  {
   "date": "2018-12-19",
   "source": 0,
   "text": "The period of cancellations following reported sightings began."
  },
  {
   "date": "2018-12-21",
   "source": 0,
   "text": "Last day of the disruption period described in the government response."
  },
  {
   "date": "2019-10-18",
   "source": 1,
   "text": "Official meeting minutes recorded that police had reported no further realistic lines of enquiry at that time."
  }
 ],
 "title": "Gatwick flight cancellations after drone reports",
 "unknown": "The cited source does not establish aircraft type, operator or intent.",
 "updatedAt": "2026-10-15",
 "windowBasis": null,
 "windowEnd": null,
 "windowStart": null
}