Gatwick airport chaos as nine flights emit emergency signals after runway blocked
Squawk 7700 codes were sent out by the aircraft in the early hours of Wednesday
Lynk
At least nine flights bound for Gatwick sent out emergency signals in the morning of Wednesday, 15 July after the temporary closure of the runway.
Air traffic data site FlightRadar24 said that the aircraft emitted Squawk 7700 codes: a universal transponder signal that alerts air traffic control when a plane needs immediate assistance. It is generally considered to represent an emergency situation.
The runway was closed after a British Airways flight from Palma de Mallorca landed at Gatwick and was attended by precautionary firefighting services due to reports of a technical fault.
The flight had been scheduled to arrive at Gatwick at 11.50pm, but experienced delays and landed 12 minutes after midnight.
FlightRadar24 said that the nine aircraft likely emitted the codes due to low fuel levels, having been conducting go-arounds.
The incident caused disruption to hundreds of flights returning from popular holiday destinations such as Tenerife, Lanzarote and Rome.
While some aircraft were able to land, other planes were forced to divert to Heathrow, Stansted, Luton, Birmingham and Bristol airports.
British Airways said: "Our flight landed safely and customers disembarked normally following reports of a technical fault with the aircraft"
A Gatwick spokesperson confirmed that early on Wednesday morning, the runway “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.”
EasyJet said that its flights, which were diverted as a result, were able to continue to Gatwick once the airport reopened, with no further impact to their services.
The Independent has also contacted Jet2 and Tui, which were also impacted by the closure, for comment. Gatwick airport has been contacted for further comment.
