Gatwick Airport said its runway has now reopened but flights remain suspended after drones were spotted in the early hours. 

London North Eastern Railway is offering passengers who were due to fly to Scotland from Gatwick free rail travel to Edinburgh in a bid to try and get them home for Christmas. 

Passengers on flights flying from Gatwick to Scotland are being offered free rail travel simply by showing their flight ticket if their flight has been cancelled. 

LNER has confirmed on social media to passengers that they will be able to travel to Edinburgh from Kings Cross in a bid to help them complete their journey home for Christmas. 

The rail provider, formerly known as Virgin Trains East Coast, said: “Following the closure of Gatwick Airport this morning, we are offering complimentary standard class travel on LNER services for anyone who was booked on UK flights to and from Gatwick today.

“Please show your flight tickets on arrival at the station and we will be happy to welcome you on board.”

In a statement, the airport said flights had been suspended from shortly after 9pm on Wednesday until 3am on Thursday after reports of two drones flying over the airfield.

"Our focus is now on working, with the airport community, to catch up on the flight schedule," a spokeswoman said.

A further update from Gatwick said the runway had been closed again at about 3.45am after another sighting of drones in the vicinity of the airport.

Chris Woodroofe, Gatwick's chief operating officer, said that drones had been spotted over the airport as late as 7am on Thursday.

He blasted the "irresponsible" act, telling BBC Radio 4's Today that 10,000 people had been affected by the closure, including 2,000 whose flights had been unable to take off.

He said there were two drones which had been seen flying "over the perimeter fence and into where the runway operates from".

Mr Woodroofe said: "They disappeared and reappeared over the night period from 9pm until 3am, at which point we reopened the runway.

"That lasted 45 minutes before the drones reappeared again and we are currently closed and it is our intention to review the situation when we have daylight at 8am."

Mr Woodroofe added that the drones had sparked "very significant disruption for passengers" but that police did not want to shoot them down because of the risk from stray bullets.

He told Today: "Last night there were 10,000 people disrupted.

"There were 6,000 people flying in from around the world to Gatwick who were diverted to alternative airports as we closed, there were 2,000 people who didn't take off from their origin airport and there are a further 2,000 people here who couldn't fly to their destination because the airport closed."

He added that 20 police units from two forces were hunting for the pilot, saying: "The police are looking for the operator and that is the way to disable to drone.

"We also have the helicopter up in the air but the police advice us that it would be dangerous to seek to shoot the drone down because of what may happen to the stray bullets."

In the latest statement on the incident, a Gatwick spokeswoman said: "Flights to and from Gatwick Airport remain suspended following reports of drones flying over Gatwick's airfield last night and in the early hours of this morning.

"We are advising passengers scheduled to fly from Gatwick not to travel to the airport without checking the status of their flight with their airline this morning. We apologise for the inconvenience, but the safety of all passengers and staff is our first priority."

EasyJet is advising passengers not to travel to airports if their flight has been cancelled.

A spokeswoman for the airline said: "Like other airlines, easyJet diverted a number of flights due to land at London Gatwick to other airports across the UK.

"As a result of this, aircraft and crew remain out of position at airports away from London Gatwick, which has resulted in a number of cancellations this morning.

"We advise all customers flying to and from London Gatwick today to not travel to the airport if they are on flights which have been cancelled.

"EasyJet has offered affected passengers who were diverted last night ground transportation to reach London Gatwick and hotel accommodation was provided for those who required it.

"Passengers who arranged their own transportation will be reimbursed by easyJet. Customers on cancelled flights will be entitled to a free of charge transfer to an alternative flight."

Gatwick's Airport's chief operating officer said a drone near the airfield is still causing disruption.

Chris Woodroofe told Sky News: "I'd like to apologise to all of the passengers who have been disrupted by this irresponsible act.

"Last night, at nine o'clock in the evening, a drone was spotted by two different members of my staff, and as a result we had to close the runway for movements.

"Since then, the drone has appeared and disappeared, appeared and disappeared, through until two o'clock in the morning. At three o'clock we reopened the airport, thinking it had gone, but it came back again at 3.45."