A technical issue involving a British Airways aircraft briefly disrupted operations at London Gatwick Airport, forcing multiple inbound flights to declare emergencies and divert to other airports during the early hours of Wednesday.

The incident began after a British Airways flight from Palma de Mallorca reported a technical fault while approaching Gatwick. As a precaution, airport authorities temporarily closed the runway while emergency services responded to the aircraft.

The temporary closure caused significant disruption for arriving flights. More than a dozen aircraft were unable to land as scheduled, with at least nine flights declaring the international emergency transponder code 7700 after extended holding times increased concerns over fuel levels.

According to flight tracking data, aircraft circled over southern England before being diverted to alternative airports, including Heathrow, Luton, Stansted, Birmingham, and Bristol. The affected flights were arriving from several European destinations, including Spain, Greece, Italy, and Morocco.

Airport rescue and fire crews attended the British Airways aircraft upon landing as a precaution. The airline confirmed that the flight landed safely and passengers disembarked normally. No injuries were reported.

A Gatwick Airport spokesperson said the runway closure was temporary and implemented solely to ensure passenger and operational safety. Most diverted flights later returned to Gatwick once the runway reopened.

British Airways also confirmed that the aircraft experienced a technical issue but emphasized that the landing was completed safely and standard safety procedures were followed throughout the incident.

The disruption led to delays for passengers across several routes, but airport operations gradually returned to normal after the runway reopened.