Gatwick Airport Incident Today: A late-night operational incident at London’s Gatwick Airport quickly escalated into widespread disruption across British airspace after several inbound aircraft declared emergencies and diverted to other airports. Flight-tracking platforms showed multiple aircraft transmitting the internationally recognised Squawk 7700 emergency code as crews dealt with extended holding times and diminishing fuel reserves while the airport’s main runway remained unavailable.
Gatwick Airport Incident Today: What Happened at Gatwick Airport?
The disruption began after British Airways Flight BA2673, arriving from Palma de Mallorca, Spain, landed at Gatwick but remained on the airport’s main runway while emergency crews responded.
Airport authorities have not yet confirmed what caused the aircraft to stop on the runway. However, flight-tracking data and aviation reports indicate the runway remained temporarily unavailable, forcing arriving aircraft to circle over southeast England or divert to alternate airports.
An issue at Gatwick as nine (9) flights originally bound for the London airport are currently squawking 7700 (likely due to low fuel). We are working to learn more. https://t.co/HsHBhiVnxD pic.twitter.com/cHSUBcbZlv
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) July 14, 2026
Although the aircraft later cleared the runway, delays continued as Gatwick worked to restore normal operations.
Gatwick Airport Incident Today: Is Gatwick Airport (LGW) Open or Closed?
Gatwick Airport has reopened, and flight operations have resumed, but passengers may continue to experience delays and schedule changes as the airport works to clear the backlog caused by the runway incident. The disruption began after a British Airways flight stopped on the runway, prompting an emergency response and forcing several inbound aircraft to enter holding patterns or divert to other airports.
Although the aircraft has since cleared the runway and normal operations have restarted, airport authorities have advised travellers to check with their airlines for the latest flight information, as some arrivals and departures may still be affected.
Gatwick Airport Incident Today: Why Did So Many Flights Declare Squawk 7700?
As aircraft remained in holding patterns, fuel reserves steadily declined. Aviation tracking services showed at least nine passenger aircraft transmitting the Squawk 7700 emergency code before diverting.
A Squawk 7700 signal is the internationally recognised transponder code pilots use to notify air traffic control of a general emergency. In this case, aviation observers believe the declarations were linked to low-fuel situations caused by prolonged holding rather than separate onboard technical failures. Authorities have not officially confirmed the reason behind each declaration.
Gatwick Airport Incident Today: Which Flights Were Affected?
Among the flights that reportedly declared emergencies were:
- easyJet flight U28704 from Agadir
- easyJet flight U28012 from Valencia
- easyJet flight U28042 from Fuerteventura
- easyJet flight U28186 from Athens
- easyJet flight U28330 from Rome
- British Airways flight BA2607 from Bari
- British Airways flight BA2703 from Tenerife
- Jet2 flight LS3104 from Lanzarote
- TUI Airways flight BY4249 from Rhodes
Several of these aircraft diverted to London Stansted and London Luton, while additional inbound flights also changed destinations without declaring emergencies.
Gatwick Airport Incident Today: Why Did One Aircraft Disrupt the Entire Airport?
Although Gatwick has two runways, it normally operates with one primary runway. The northern runway mainly serves as a standby facility and is generally used for taxiing or during exceptional circumstances.
Because of this operational setup, any incident blocking the main runway can significantly affect arriving and departing traffic, leading to holding patterns, diversions and delays.
Gatwick Airport Incident Today: What is Squawk 7700?
Squawk 7700 is the universal emergency transponder code used by pilots to alert air traffic controllers that an aircraft requires immediate assistance or priority handling.
The code does not automatically indicate a crash or catastrophic failure. It can be used for a wide range of emergencies, including:
- Low fuel
- Medical emergencies
- Mechanical failures
- Smoke or fire onboard
- Other urgent operational situations
Once controllers receive a Squawk 7700 signal, they give the aircraft priority handling to ensure a safe landing.
Gatwick Airport Incident Today: Authorities Yet to Confirm Cause
Airport officials have not released a detailed statement explaining what happened to the British Airways aircraft or confirming why it remained on the runway.
Operations have gradually resumed, but airlines have warned that delays may continue while schedules return to normal. Aviation authorities are expected to provide further information once the incident review is complete.
