Why 9 Planes Declared Emergency Over London Gatwick

Nine planes declared emergencies over London early Wednesday after a runway closure at Gatwick Airport, forcing 14 flights to divert to other airports.

The runway was closed for about an hour starting just after midnight, a London Gatwick spokesperson said, due to a technical issue with a British Airways Airbus A320 that had just landed from Palma de Mallorca. The aircraft was met by emergency services as a precaution. The pilot did not declare an emergency, a person familiar with the situation told Business Insider.

Diverted flights landed at airports including Bristol, Birmingham, Luton, and Stansted. Three of the 14 diverted flights did not continue to Gatwick with passengers. An easyJet flight from Rome was stuck at Stansted because no refueling crew was available, an easyJet spokesperson said. Passengers spent over two hours on the plane before disembarking.