- A British Airways aircraft blocked Gatwick’s only runway after landing early Wednesday morning.
- Nine incoming flights declared low-fuel emergencies while circling the closed airport for over an hour.
- The runway reopened at one-thirty a.m. following the safe disembarkation of all passengers.
A British Airways Airbus A320 became stuck on the runway at London Gatwick Airport early Wednesday, forcing nine flights to declare low-fuel emergencies while fire crews attended the aircraft.
Flight BA2673 had arrived from Palma de Mallorca at about 12:12 a.m. The aircraft, operated by BA Euroflyer and registered as G-GATS, remained on the airport’s only operational runway after landing.
The disruption was not caused by a fire at the airport. Rescue and firefighting vehicles surrounded the plane as a precaution, while arriving aircraft held overhead and fuel reserves fell.
British Airways said the passengers left the aircraft normally.
“Our flight landed safely and customers disembarked normally following reports of a technical fault with the aircraft. Emergency services met the plane as a precaution.”
A British Airways spokesperson issued the statement on July 15, 2026. The airline did not identify the precise fault.
The runway reopened at approximately 01:30 a.m. BST, but the closure had already forced aircraft to divert, refuel and wait for space to return to Gatwick.
Gatwick described the closure as brief. Its spokesperson said a “small number” of flights diverted, with most later returning to the airport.
“Earlier this morning, the runway was closed for a short period 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. As always, safety and security is our number one priority.”
Circling aircraft transmitted the general emergency code
Flight-tracking data showed the affected aircraft transmitting squawk 7700, the standard code for a general emergency. The declarations primarily reflected critically low fuel after aircraft spent more than an hour in holding patterns.
At least 10 aircraft in the London area transmitted emergency codes, according to the tracking data. The detailed list of nine passenger aircraft included flights from four airlines:
- easyJet flights U28704 from Agadir, U28012 from Valencia, U28042 from Fuerteventura, U28186 from Athens and U28330 from Rome;
- British Airways flights BA2607 from Bari and BA2703 from Tenerife;
- Jet2 flight LS3104 from Lanzarote; and
- TUI Airways flight BY4249 from Rhodes.
The aircraft had been approaching a blocked runway, not responding to an airport fire. Fire engines went to BA2673 because the aircraft needed assistance after landing.
Fourteen flights diverted to alternative airports, including London Luton, London Stansted, London Heathrow, Birmingham and Bristol. Some aircraft later took on fuel at Luton or Stansted before returning to Gatwick.
The airport said most diverted flights eventually came back after operations resumed. Delays continued as crews and aircraft were repositioned.
A passenger described a much longer flight from Tenerife
Ravinder Singh, traveling on the TUI flight from Tenerife, said passengers remained aboard after the diversion to Stansted while they waited for instructions.
“Still on the plane to see what's happening next!! Hoping we can be flown back to Gatwick soon! It's been a much longer flight from Tenerife than usual.”
Hundreds of passengers were displaced across southern England and the Midlands as aircraft diverted to airports away from their scheduled destination.
The disruption also affected flights that had not declared emergencies. Departures and arrivals faced delays while the runway remained unavailable, then while the airport worked through the backlog after reopening.
The technical investigation centers on the stranded aircraft
Gatwick and British Airways are investigating what caused BA2673 to stop on the runway. Reports indicated a possible nose-wheel or landing-gear malfunction, but the airline and airport publicly described the issue only as technical.
The aircraft had landed safely from Palma de Mallorca before emergency services met it. No injuries or fatalities were reported.
Gatwick’s response involved its airport rescue and firefighting service, which attended the A320 as a precaution. The presence of fire engines therefore did not indicate that flames had spread across the airport or runway.
The airport’s chief executive officer is Pierre-Hugues Schmit, while Mathieu Boutitie serves as chief technical officer. Stewart Wingate is managing director for UK Airports at VINCI Airports and previously served as Gatwick’s chief executive.
One runway left little room for arriving aircraft
Gatwick operates as the United Kingdom’s second-busiest airport while relying on a single main runway for its primary operations. An aircraft immobilized there can interrupt both arrivals and departures.
That constraint became acute during the early-morning arrival period. With BA2673 occupying the runway, aircraft continued circling until their fuel situations required emergency handling or diversion.
The incident came while the airport awaited a government decision on its Northern Runway Project, a £2.2 billion plan to bring a second runway into routine use. The proposal is intended to reduce the airport’s dependence on one runway for normal operations.
The events also showed how quickly a runway closure can spread beyond the airport itself. Aircraft diverted to several airports, passengers remained onboard after landing elsewhere, and crews faced additional fuel and scheduling requirements before flights could resume.
What passengers should expect after the runway reopens
A reopened runway does not immediately restore the timetable. Diverted aircraft need fuel, crews need new operating instructions, and arriving flights must be fitted back into the sequence after the closure.
Passengers booked through Gatwick should check their airline’s latest flight information before traveling to the airport. Those diverted to Luton, Stansted, Heathrow, Birmingham or Bristol may need separate instructions for onward transport or a later return flight.
The investigation into BA2673 will determine whether the aircraft’s technical fault involved its nose wheel, landing gear or another system. Until that review is complete, the public explanation remains limited to the airline’s description of a technical fault and Gatwick’s account of a short runway closure.
