AN AIRPORT will return to pre-pandemic flight schedules as it drops a passenger cap.

Gatwick introduced a passenger limit to avoid large queues and wait times as it forecast a surge of people travelling during the school holidays.

But as children get set to return to school, the airport will now return to “business as usual”.

Gatwick’s chief executive Stewart Wingate said: “The unprecedented growth in traffic led to short-term operational issues in June.

“However, our decisive early action to limit the airport’s capacity in July and August has ensured passengers have experienced reliable flight timetables over the summer months.

“We are now very much operating business as usual and do not see any reason to extend the capacity declaration.”

Mr Wingate said the airport has seen a “boom” in demand for overseas travel which has helped in bounce back from the pandemic.

Gatwick said demand was at 74 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in the second quarter.

“We still have some considerable way to go, but strong demand has fast-tracked Gatwick’s recovery from the pandemic, particularly in the last quarter since all UK travel restrictions were removed,” Mr Wingate added.

“Despite some broad economic uncertainty, we are also looking forward to a successful second half to the year.”

The announcement comes as dozens of easyJet flights were cancelled at Gatwick today due to "late notice" staff sickness.

Around 26 flights in and out of the airport were grounded due staff sickness in air traffic control. Thirteen of the cancellations are departures.

Gatwick Airport has apologised to passengers affected.