NewsUK NewsGatwick AirportLIVE EVENT ENDEDLast updated 4th September 2026Passengers at Gatwick Airport faced hours of delays after a Norse Atlantic Airways jet reportedly aborted takeoff at around 138mph, forcing the runway to close.Flights were grounded at Gatwick Airport (file)(Image: Getty Images)Flights at London Gatwick Airport faced significant disruption after a Norse Atlantic Airways plane reportedly aborted takeoff at around 138mph.Flight Z0701, bound for New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport, was accelerating along runway 26L when a reported problem with the nose landing gear forced pilots to reject the takeoff.Emergency vehicles surrounded the aircraft while the runway was closed for around 50 minutes, with incoming flights diverted to other airports. No injuries were reported.Gatwick said the closure was caused by a “technical issue” with a departing aircraft. The runway later reopened and flights resumed, although passengers faced significant knock-on delays.‌View PostView PostView PostView PostView Post4th Sep22:41 BSTEnd of our coverageThank you for following our coverage. This live blog is now closed.4th Sep19:34 BST'Your airline is responsible for ensuring you reach final destination,' says Which?Consumer group Which? says airlines are responsible for making sure passengers get to the final destination listed on their tickets."While the runway at Gatwick is thankfully back up and running after earlier disruption, many passengers now find themselves displaced after some flights were forced to land at alternative airports," said Which?."If your flight was diverted as a result of the runway closure, your airline is responsible for ensuring you still reach the final destination on your ticket."Depending on how long you're delayed, [they] should provide food and drink or even accommodation if necessary," it added.4th Sep18:53 BSTPassenger stuck on tarmac in Milan for hours before flight to Gatwick cancelledA furious passenger says they were left on the tarmac in Milan for three hours before their flight back to Gatwick was cancelled earlier this afternoon.The traveller wrote to EasyJet on X claiming they had been offered no compensation.Content cannot be displayed without consent4th Sep18:21 BSTWhich flights are currently delayed?A number of flights leaving Gatwick Airport this evening have been delayed after operations resumed.This includes a 5:50pm EasyJet flight to Belfast, which has now been delayed to 8:30pm.A 6pm EasyJet flight to Paris will now leave at 7:20pm. A 6:05pm EasyJet flight to Venice has been delayed to 7:50pm, while a 6:10pm service to Prague is due to leave at 7:48pm.4th Sep17:50 BST'Two dozen' flights cancelled Around two dozen flights were cancelled into and out of Gatwick following the closure of the runway earlier today.The majority of the trips affected were with easyJet, with flights serving Milan, Corfu, Zurich, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Munich, Geneva, Lisbon, Nantes and Paris all disrupted.4th Sep17:29 BSTPassengers share horror stories as flights divertedPassengers have taken to social media to share transport horror stories as plane-loads of people are stuck at airports far from their destinations - in some cases without being allowed to leave their planes.Content cannot be displayed without consentContent cannot be displayed without consentContent cannot be displayed without consent4th Sep17:20 BSTAirline statement in fullGatwick Airport has said the runway was closed “due to a technical issue with a departing aircraft”. The Mirror has contacted Norse Atlantic Airways for further information.Content cannot be displayed without consent4th Sep17:00 BSTFurious passengers take to social media Angry air passengers have taken to social media to vent their frustrations at delays and diversions caused by the earlier incident at Gatwick.Content cannot be displayed without consentContent cannot be displayed without consent4th Sep16:32 BST'The pilot slammed the breaks on the plane' - passengerA woman who was on board the Norse Atlantic Airways flight has described the terrifying moment the aircraft came to a sudden halt as it sped down the runway.Alice Kavanagh told the York Press: "Honestly, the whole situation was pretty scary.“We were starting to speed off for take off and all of a sudden, the pilot slammed the breaks on the plane.“It took of a few minutes then they explained that they’d spotted a technical fault."Shocked passengers stayed in their seats while air and ground staff tried to diagnose the fault. Alice said: "It’s so lucky that the pilot spotted it.“We couldn’t even drive off the runway - god knows what would happen if we’d taken off.”She said that passengers from the flight are have been taken back into the airport and are currently waiting for a a new plane to New York, which is expected to be ready in around an hour.4th Sep16:17 BSTEverything we know Passengers at Gatwick are facing delays after a dramatic incident saw a plane abandon takeoff as it barrelled down the runway at 138 mph.The Norse Atlantic Airways Boeing 787 was blasting down the runway during takeoff when a problem with the landing gear caused pilots to abort the flight, the Aviation Herald reported.The nose landing gear on the massive plane turned 90 degrees causing the aircraft to stop on the runway and become disabled.The plane was met by numerous emergency vehicles at the end of Gatwick Airport’s only runway with flight operations halted while the plane was removed from the area. There have been no reports of injuries.The runway was closed for 50 minutes with multiple planes forced to divert to airports as far away as Birmingham. The knock-on delays are still being felt by travellers, with passengers urged to check their flight times and status before going to the airport.4th Sep15:22 BST'The nose wheels turned 90 degrees' - reportsThe Aviation Herald is reporting the aircraft rejected takeoff after reaching speeds of about 138mph due to a problem with the nose gear."The aircraft stopped on the runway and became disabled," the outlet reproted. "The aircraft was towed off the runway about 30 minutes later."According to preliminary information The Aviation Herald received, the nose wheels turned 90 degrees."The Mirror has contacted the airline for further information.4th Sep15:16 BSTEasyjet flight 'forced to take very late go-around’ A social media user who claimed they had seen the incident said an incoming easyJet flight was forced to undertake a very late ‘go-around,’ to avoid hitting the stricken Norse aircraft.A go-around is when an aircraft on final approach to land is forced to abort and begin climbing again.Content cannot be displayed without consent4th Sep15:10 BSTRunway was closed for 50 minutes Gatwick Airport said the runway was closed for 50 minutes while the aircraft was towed away before reopening shortly afterwards.The disruption triggered widespread delays across the region, with numerous incoming flights forced to divert to neighbouring hubs.4th Sep15:08 BSTLong delays for passengers Arrivals and departures information shows extensive delays for flights taking off and landing at Gatwick following the earlier incident.Gatwick departures(Image: Gatwick Airport)Gatwick arrivals4th Sep15:02 BSTFlights diverted to Birmingham, Stanstead and HeathrowMany flights have been diverted following the blockage of Gatwick’s runway. Planes scheduled to land at Gatwick have been sent to Luton, Stanstead, Heathrow and Birmingham Airport.The runway is reportedly now cleared but the knock-on delays are expected to cause travel chaos for some time yet.Image of diverted flights4th Sep14:55 BSTGatwick Airport 'back in action' - Flightradar24Air traffic tracking website Flightradar24 has announced that Gatwick Airport is back in action.The airport’s runway was put out of use after a Norse Atlantic Airways Boeing 787-9 rejected its takeoff roll earlier this afternoon.Content cannot be displayed without consent4th Sep14:49 BSTNorse Atlantic Airways contacted for commentThe Mirror has reached out to Norse Atlantic Airways for more information on the nature of the "technical issue" with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner which caused the closure of the runway.4th Sep14:43 BSTTravellers should check flight statusTravellers scheduled to fly in or out of Gatwick are advised to check their flight status directly with their airlines, as knock-on delays and air traffic backup are expected throughout the rest of the day.4th Sep14:38 BST'Could be tonnes of diversions'Flight tracking data shows the scale of the diversions from the blocked runway.Content cannot be displayed without consent4th Sep14:36 BSTFlights diverted as Gatwick runway closedWith the events unfolding on Gatwick’s only runway, flights have been forced to divert, with numerous incoming EasyJet planes sent to other airports including Luton and Stansted.4th Sep14:35 BSTGatwick Airport issues statementGatwick Airport has confirmed its runway is closed due to a "technical issue" with a departing plane.An airport spokesperson told The Mirror: “Due to a technical issue with a departing aircraft, our runway is currently closed."Our teams are working to move the aircraft and resume operations as quickly as possible. As always, safety and security is our number one priority."4th Sep14:35 BSTEmergency vehicles on Gatwick runwayThe widebody Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was met by numerous emergency response vehicles which rushed to the far end of the Gatwick runway this afternoon.4th Sep14:34 BSTFlight was heading for New YorkNorse Atlantic Airways flight Z0701 was bound for New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) when it was forced to abandon its takeoff roll on runway 26L.4th Sep14:31 BSTGatwick shuts down following aborted takeoffOperations at London Gatwick Airport have come to a sudden halt with the airport’s main runway temporarily closed following an aborted takeoff involving a transatlantic passenger jet.4th Sep14:28 BSTAll flights grounded at GatwickAll fights have been grounded at Gatwick, the airport today the Mirror this afternoon.‌