Flights were temporarily grounded at London Gatwick this afternoon after a technical problem involving a departing aircraft forced the airport’s runway to close.
London Gatwick said the runway was shut for around 50 minutes on Friday 4 September while teams dealt with the aircraft.
Incoming flights were forced to hold or divert during the closure, while departures were unable to take off.
A London Gatwick spokesperson said: "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.”
FlightRadar24 identified the aircraft involved as a Norse UK Boeing 787-9 operating flight Z0701 from Gatwick to New York JFK.
Flight tracking information lists the aircraft as registration G-CKOF. FlightRadar24 later reported that the Boeing 787 had rejected its take-off and was disabled on the runway for a short period before operations resumed.
The closure caused disruption to other services, with aircraft unable to use Gatwick’s single main runway while the incident was dealt with.
Operations have since resumed following the removal of the aircraft and a full runway safety inspection.
Passengers travelling from Gatwick are being advised to check the latest status of their flight directly with their airline before travelling, as delays may continue while schedules recover.
London Gatwick’s official website provides live arrival and departure information for passengers. Official London Gatwick Home | London Gatwick Airport
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