Thousands of passengers were delayed after the incident at Gatwick Airport

Thousands of airline passengers on flights to and from Gatwick Airport are experiencing disruption after the runway was closed following a problem with a departing British Airways plane. Airport fire engines escorted the aircraft as it was moved off the runway, flight-tracking website Flightradar24 said.

The incident involved British Airways flight BA2279 to Vancouver, Canada. Flightradar24 reported the runway closed at 12.53pm and said at 1.14pm that it had reopened.

A Gatwick Airport spokesman said: “The main runway was closed for a short time today due to an aircraft departing with hot brakes. Safety is our top priority and the airport fire service was quick to assist the aircraft.

“A number of flights have been diverted. The track is now open and operating normally.”

A British Airways spokesman said: “Our pilots took the precautionary decision to cancel take-off due to a technical issue. Safety is always our top priority and we apologize to our customers for any inconvenience caused.”

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