Gatwick Airport's runway was closed for 50 minutes today, Friday 4 September, following a technical issue with a departing aircraft. Flights at the airport came to a standstill while emergency teams worked to remove the aircraft.
A spokesperson for Gatwick Airport confirmed the runway closure and stated that the aircraft was towed away, with the runway reopening after a full safety inspection. Safety and security were cited as the number one priority.
According to Flightradar24, the incident involved Norse Atlantic Airways flight Z0701, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which reportedly performed a rejected takeoff on runway 26L and was disabled. The flight was bound from London to New York JFK.
The flight tracking service indicates severe delays for more than 330 flights at Gatwick, with an average delay of 57 minutes, which are expected to continue for the rest of the day.