Luton airport hit by lightning strike – flights cancelled and diverted

Operations at the busy airport were halted after air traffic control systems were hit by a lightning strike

A lightning strike prompted flight cancellations and diversions at Luton Airport this evening, as bad weather conditions and storms swept across south east England.

A spokesperson for the airport said operations were suspended between 5:40pm and 7:15pm, resulting in “a number of cancellations and diversions”.

Roads to and from the airport were flooded during the storm. A number of flights were diverted including Wizz Air flight W95378 from Turin to Luton which diverted to Gatwick airport and the Wizz Air flight W92601 from Prague which diverted to Stansted airport.

“Flights to and from London Luton Airport have now resumed following an earlier suspension of operations caused by a lightning strike affecting Air Traffic Control equipment,” the spokesperson told BBC South East.

“The disruption coincided with a period of severe weather across the area, resulting in flash flooding on local roads, and the airport approach.

“As operations return to normal, some flights may continue to experience delays or cancellations as airlines work to recover their schedules.”