All flights grounded at Gatwick airport with runway closed after plane suffers ‘technical issue’
All flights at Gatwick Airport have been grounded and the runway closed after a Boeing 787 suffered a suspected landing gear fault while attempting to take off. The aircraft, reportedly operated by Norse, rejected its takeoff and became stuck on the runway, prompting an emergency response and grounding traffic at one of the UK's busiest airports. The incident is causing significant disruption for thousands of passengers, with knock-on delays and diversions expected across the network.
Witnesses described the plane surrounded by around 20 emergency and ground vehicles, with fire engines in attendance, while other aircraft were held or diverted, including at least one flight rerouted to Luton. Gatwick said its teams were working to move the aircraft and reopen the runway as quickly as possible, stressing safety remained the top priority, and advised passengers to still travel to the airport while checking with their airline for updates. It follows a separate incident in July when a water outage left passengers unable to flush toilets or wash their hands for hours.
- Gatwick runway closed after Boeing 787's landing gear fault on takeoff
- All flights grounded; aircraft diverted, including to Luton
- Airport working to clear plane and reopen runway