“All flights are blocked”, plane stops on the runway and panic breaks out among passengers

All flights blocked at Gatwick airport. In London, a plane remained stranded on the runway following a technical failure in the landing gear and had to be towed. Firefighters and airport staff worked to recover the aircraft, with the runway being completely closed for around 50 minutes.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the affected flight was from Norse Atlantic Airways and should have taken off towards New York shortly after 1pm. Thousands of passengers therefore suffered delays and inconveniences during their journeys throughout the day, while airport staff worked to restore flights as soon as possible. Gatwick has two runways, but due to their proximity they cannot be used at the same time.

Passengers were advised to go to the airport anyway and check the situation online with their airline. A spokesperson for London Gatwick Airport said: “The runway was closed for 50 minutes this afternoon (Friday 4 September) due to a technical problem with a plane taking off. The plane was towed from the runway, which reopened shortly afterwards following a full safety inspection.”

It’s not the first problem to plague Gatwick Airport. In July the facility was left without water due to a power outage, with passengers unable to use the toilets for hours.