Flights were grounded at Gatwick Airport after a passenger plane suffered a technical issue.
The takeoff runway at the UK’s busiest airport was closed for almost an hour after a plane malfunctioned.
Aviation tracking websites appear to show a plane surrounded by emergency services on the tarmac, believed to be a Norse Atlantic Airways flight to New York.
A London Gatwick spokesperson told : ‘The runway was closed for 50 minutes this afternoon (Friday 4 September) due to a technical issue with a departing aircraft.
‘The aircraft was towed from the runway, which reopened shortly afterwards following a full safety inspection. As always, safety and security is our number one priority.’
Several afternoon departures have been listed as slightly delayed on Flightradar24.
Some flights circulating nearby as they waited to land have reportedly been diverted to other airports.
It comes a week after the water taps ran dry at Gatwick last weekend, leaving toilets and restaurants without supply in the North Terminal.
The outage was caused by a burst pipe elsewhere in the SES Water’s network.
The latest outage was the second water supply issue affecting the airport within a month.
Gatwick currently has one runway, but it has been seeking to reposition its northern runway into full-time use for years.
Early last month, the airport bosses were given a green light to bring the emergency strip into routine use following an appeal by critics opposing the move.
The opening of the second runway is expected to add an extra 100,000 yearly flights.
What are your rights if your flight is delayed or cancelled?
In the UK and EU, airlines must look after you if your flight is delayed or cancelled. This includes everything from meals and accommodation to an alternative flight if necessary.
that airlines should also give impacted passengers access to phone calls and emails, and, if they offer you a place to stay, organise the journeys between the hotel and the airport.
Sometimes, the airline will cover this by handing you vouchers at the airport. When in doubt, keep any receipts for expenses and claim them back afterwards from the airline.
But an airline will only cough up money for ‘reasonable’ expenses.
If you didn’t book with a UK or EU airline, you’ll need to check their terms and conditions. However, for the most part, airlines should provide meals and accommodation as appropriate.
When am I eligible for this support?
Whether you’re eligible for the above depends on the distance of your flight and how long you have waited:
- For medium-haul (between 1,500km and 3,500km over two to four hours), it’s three hours or more.
- For long-haul (more than 3,500km over four hours or more), it’s four hours or more.
- For short-haul (up to 1,500km over two hours or less), you must have been waiting for two hours or more.
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