Why 9 planes had to declare an emergency above one of Europe's busiest airports
Nine airplanes declared emergencies while flying near London around midnight.London Gatwick Airport's runway was temporarily closed due to a problem with a British Airways jet.14 flights were diverted, including one where passengers were left on board for two hours.Nine airplanes flying over London declared emergencies early Wednesday morning after an incident at one of Europe's busiest airports.In total, 14 flights scheduled to land at London Gatwick Airport diverted to other airports between midnight and 1 a.m.Gatwick is the UK's second-busiest airport and ranks 11th in Europe, having handled almost 43 million passengers last year.Planespotters were briefly mystified as to why so many planes were broadcasting an emergency signal in the middle of the night, while many passengers returned from their vacations to a different part of England.A London Gatwick spokesperson said the runway was temporarily closed "due to a technical issue with an aircraft."" As a result, a small number of flights were diverted, with the majority later returning to London Gatwick," they added.It therefore appears that the pilots declared emergencies due to low fuel, allowing them to receive priority landing at nearby airports.An issue at Gatwick as nine (9) flights originally bound for the London airport are currently squawking 7700 (likely due to low fuel). We are working to learn more.
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Nine airplanes declared emergencies while flying near London around midnight.London Gatwick Airport's runway was temporarily closed due to a problem with a British Airways jet.14 flights were diverted, including one where passengers were left on board for two hours.Nine airplanes flying over London declared emergencies early Wednesday morning after an incident at one of Europe's busiest airports.In total, 14 flights scheduled to land at London Gatwick Airport diverted to other airports between midnight and 1 a.m.Gatwick is the UK's second-busiest airport and ranks 11th in Europe, having handled almost 43 million passengers last year.Planespotters were briefly mystified as to why so many planes were broadcasting an emergency signal in the middle of the night, while many passengers returned from their vacations to a different part of England.A London Gatwick spokesperson said the runway was temporarily closed "due to a technical issue with an aircraft."" As a result, a small number of flights were diverted, with the majority later returning to London Gatwick," they added.It therefore appears that the pilots declared emergencies due to low fuel, allowing them to receive priority landing at nearby airports.An issue at Gatwick as nine (9) flights originally bound for the London airport are currently squawking 7700 (likely due to low fuel). We are working to learn more. https://t.co/HsHBhiVnxD pic.twitter.com/cHSUBcbZlv— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) July 14, 2026 The aircraft that stopped on the runway was a British Airways Airbus A320. It arrived from Palma de Mallorca, Spain, shortly after midnight, operating Flight 2673.A person familiar with the situation said that this flight did not declare an emergency and was met by emergency services on the runway as a precaution.It is not clear what issue the airplane may have had.
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- What's the story?
- Nine airplanes declared emergencies while flying near London around midnight.London Gatwick Airport's runway was temporarily closed due to a problem with a British Airways jet.14 flights were diverted, including one where passengers were left on board for two hours.Nine airplanes flying over London declared emergencies early Wednesday morning after an incident at one of Europe's busiest airports.In total, 14 flights scheduled to land at London Gatwick Airport diverted to other airports between midnight and 1 a.m.Gatwick is the UK's second-busiest airport and ranks 11th in Europe, having handled almost 43 million passengers last year.Planespotters were briefly mystified as to why so many planes were broadcasting an emergency signal in the middle of the night, while many passengers returned from their vacations to a different part of England.A London Gatwick spokesperson said the runway was temporarily closed "due to a technical issue with an aircraft."" As a result, a small number of flights were diverted, with the majority later returning to London Gatwick," they added.It therefore appears that the pilots declared emergencies due to low fuel, allowing them to receive priority landing at nearby airports.An issue at Gatwick as nine (9) flights originally bound for the London airport are currently squawking 7700 (likely due to low fuel). We are working to learn more.
- How widely is it covered?
- 1 outlet, average source rating 6.0/10.
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- 3m ago.
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Why 9 planes had to declare an emergency above one of Europe's busiest airports
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