Gatwick airport has reopened its runway on Friday (June 28) after a temporary closure caused by a British Airways aircraft aborting its take-off because of “hot brakes”.
A spokesperson for the airport said: “The main runway was closed for 50 minutes today (June 28) due to a departing aircraft having hot brakes.
“Safety is our top priority and London Gatwick’s dedicated airport fire service swiftly attended to support the aircraft. Sixteen inbound flights were diverted during the closure. The runway is now open and operating as normal.
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“Twenty-three flights were cancelled and there are a number of delays due to the knock-on impact. We are working with our airlines and other airport partners to minimise disruption.
“Passengers should contact their airlines directly for the latest flight information.”
British Airways said in a statement: “Our pilots took the precautionary decision to cancel take-off due to a technical issue.
“Safety is always our top priority and we apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused.”
The Independent reported that at least a dozen flights have been diverted and many more are likely to be heavily delayed or cancelled after the BA flight to Vancouver abandoned its departure in the middle of the runway.
It said no one is believed to have been hurt during the incident.