Flights at Gatwick Airport cancelled and diverted after plane aborts takeoff
WATCH: Fire engines were called to the runway after a flight aborted its takeoff, as ITV News Meridian's Kara Digby reports
A number of flights at Gatwick Airport have been cancelled or diverted following an incident on the runway, causing disruption for thousands of airline passengers.
A British Airways Boeing 777-200ER from London Gatwick to Vancouver aborted its takeoff on Friday afternoon (28 June).
The runway had to be closed following the emergency, as the plane remained on the tarmac.
Ground vehicles, including fire crews, responded to the incident and the plane was moved.
A total of 23 flights were cancelled and 16 inbound flights were diverted during the closure.
WATCH: Passengers describe the moment the plane came to a halt
An eyewitness, who was on another plane and waiting to take off, has told ITV News Meridian: "Just as we were about to roll onto the runway for takeoff, the pilot announced another aircraft was stuck on and blocking the runway and that they didn’t know how long it would take to clear.
"We must be knocking on for an hour now. The plane has now been towed from the runway and our engines are back up and running.
"Pilot said ‘it’s going to be a bit of a scrum to see who gets onto the runway first'.
"It appears it’s a BA flight bound for Vancouver which aborted its take off."
WATCH: Travel expert, Simon Calder, estimates that around 4000 passengers will be affected
Travel expert, Simon Calder, estimates that around 4000 passengers will be affected by the runway closure at Gatwick.
He said: "Gatwick is the world's busiest single runway and if that runway gets blocked for 50 minutes in the middle of the busiest day of the year so far, immediately it's going to spell problems for an awful lot of travellers.
"...we've had planes ending up in Heathrow, in Luton, in Stansted, in Bournemouth...and at this time of year there is very little slack in the system. Those planes were supposed to be going to all sorts of other places.
"That's why as a direct result, we've had 23 cancellations so far. That's affecting, I would guess, 4000 or more passengers.
"As the day goes on, with all the other problems we've got in Europe - really stormy weather, long delays from traffic control - it's looking like a pretty bleak start to the weekend."
A London Gatwick spokesperson said: "The main runway was closed for 50 minutes today (28 June) due to a departing aircraft having hot brakes.
"Safety is our top priority and London Gatwick’s dedicated airport fire service swiftly attended to support the aircraft. 16 inbound flights were diverted during the closure. The runway is now open and operating as normal.
"23 flights were cancelled and there are a number of delays due to the knock-on impact.
"We are working with our airlines and other airport partners to minimise disruption. Passengers should contact their airlines directly for the latest flight information."
In a statement, British Airways said: "Our pilots took the precautionary decision to cancel take-off due to a technical issue.
"Safety is always our top priority and we apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused."
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...