Flights departing from London’s Gatwick Airport experienced significant disruptions on Friday morning when British Airways flight BA2279, bound for Vancouver, aborted its high-speed takeoff at 11:48 am due to overheated brakes. The incident resulted in the closure of the runway for nearly an hour, as confirmed by a London Gatwick spokesperson.
The spokesperson said, “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.”
They also mentioned that at least 23 flights were cancelled due to the knock-on effect of the incident. The runway has since reopened and is operating normally.
British Airways released a statement explaining that the aborted takeoff was a “precautionary decision…due to a technical issue.”
They emphasized that the safety of their customers and crew is always their top priority and apologized for the inconvenience caused by the incident.
The Post quoted the airline saying, “The safety of our customers and crew is always our priority, and we’ve apologized for the inconvenience caused earlier today following an aborted take-off at Gatwick Airport.”
The disruption affected numerous passengers, including Patrick Wiltshire, who was flying from Dubai to visit his family in London.
His flight was diverted to Brussels just five minutes before landing. Wiltshire expressed his frustration in an interaction with BBC Radio Sussex, saying, “I’ve missed my taxi booking and I’ve missed my event for the evening.”
He also mentioned that there was limited information available, forcing passengers to rely on social media to stay informed about the situation.
The spokesperson said, “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.”
They also mentioned that at least 23 flights were cancelled due to the knock-on effect of the incident. The runway has since reopened and is operating normally.
British Airways released a statement explaining that the aborted takeoff was a “precautionary decision…due to a technical issue.”
They emphasized that the safety of their customers and crew is always their top priority and apologized for the inconvenience caused by the incident.
The Post quoted the airline saying, “The safety of our customers and crew is always our priority, and we’ve apologized for the inconvenience caused earlier today following an aborted take-off at Gatwick Airport.”
The disruption affected numerous passengers, including Patrick Wiltshire, who was flying from Dubai to visit his family in London.
His flight was diverted to Brussels just five minutes before landing. Wiltshire expressed his frustration in an interaction with BBC Radio Sussex, saying, “I’ve missed my taxi booking and I’ve missed my event for the evening.”
He also mentioned that there was limited information available, forcing passengers to rely on social media to stay informed about the situation.