Gatwick Airport sees all flights suspended after British Airways plane makes emergency stop

All flights were temporarily suspended at Gatwick Airport on Friday after a British Airways flight was forced to make an emergency stop on the runway. Pictures from the airport show a British Airways Boeing 777-200ER from London Gatwick to Vancouver that had to abort its takeoff due to hot brakes.

The plane remained on the tarmac, blocking the runway, for some time following the emergency. Flights in the air had to circle away from the airport and some have already diverted.

Holidaymaker Tom Strawbridge told the Express: "Plane stuck on / blocking the runway at Gatwick. Nothing in or out as it stands, been this way for around 20 mins now."

The airport has said that the runaway is now open and "operating as normal". A spokesperson said: "Safety is our top priority and the dedicated airport fire service swiftly attended to support the aircraft. A number of flights were diverted."

In a statement, British Airways said: "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."