‘I was on 7-hour flight 5 minutes from Gatwick before chaos diverted me 199 miles away | World | News
One such traveller, Patrick Wilthsire, shared his ordeal after his seven-hour Emirates flight from Dubai to London was diverted to Brussels just minutes before landing at Gatwick, resulting in a five-hour delay.
When asked about the nightmare flight, Patrick told the Express: “Not great, still sat on the runway in Brussels. The joys of travelling to the UK, there always seems to be one issue or another.”
Patrick’s Emirates flight was just five minutes from landing at Gatwick when it was suddenly diverted to Brussels, nearly 200 miles away.
The chaos began when a British Airways Boeing 777-200ER bound for Vancouver was stranded on the runway at Gatwick due to “hot brakes” earlier this Friday, causing a significant blockage.
“The captain told us a plane had broken down on the runway. Who knew there was only one runway? This is blocking all inbound flights,” Patrick said.
With the runway closure disrupting the travel plans of thousands of passengers, Patrick’s flight was among many affected. According to the arirpoprt, 16 inbound flights were diverted, and 23 were cancelled during the 50-minute closure.
“We are sat on the runway, waiting for clearance and to refuel,” he said.
Patrick, a frequent traveller to the UK, shared his frustration at the lack of updates and amenities.
“I’ve been in Brussels about an hour. Still no food, still sat here,” he lamented. “The captain just announced we’ve been ready to leave for ten minutes but waiting for clearance at Gatwick.”
Gatwick Airport, which prides itself on being the “busiest single runway airport in Europe,” was forced to close its main runway for a short period due to the incident.
Following the chaos, a Gatwick Airport spokesperson stated: “The main runway was closed for a short time today due to a departing aircraft having hot brakes. Safety is our top priority, and the dedicated airport fire service swiftly attended to support the aircraft. A number of flights were diverted. The runway is now open and operating as normal.
“We advise passengers to speak to their airline for the latest information on their flight.”
This incident is part of a series of recent disruptions at UK airports, including a major power cut at Manchester Airport that grounded flights and a nationwide border issue affecting several airports in May.
