On the night of July 14 into July 15, 2026, Gatwick Airport in London experienced significant operational disruption after British Airways Flight BA2673 from Palma de Mallorca stopped on the main runway. The aircraft remained on the runway while emergency crews attended, triggering a temporary closure that caused multiple inbound flights to declare emergencies.
At least nine passenger flights approaching Gatwick transmitted the internationally recognised Squawk 7700 emergency transponder code, signaling general emergencies. Aviation sources associate these emergency declarations with low fuel reserves caused by prolonged holding patterns and diversions. Some arriving aircraft were rerouted to London Stansted and London
Luton airports due to the runway blockage.
Runway Operations and Emergency Response
Gatwick Airport normally operates with a single primary runway for arrivals and departures. Its secondary northern runway primarily serves as a standby facility for taxiing or exceptional cases and is not typically used for routine takeoffs or landings. The blocking of the main runway by the British Airways flight created a bottleneck that prevented normal aircraft movements.
British Airways Flight BA2673 remained on the main runway for an extended period while emergency crews responded, causing the runway to be temporarily unavailable. During this time, inbound flights entered holding patterns over southeast England or
diverted to other London-area airports, including London Stansted and London Luton.
The nine flights that squawked 7700 required immediate priority handling due to their emergency status related to diminishing fuel quantities as they waited to land. The Squawk 7700 code is the internationally recognised emergency transponder signal used by pilots to request immediate assistance from air traffic control.
Current Status and Impact on Travelers
After the British Airways aircraft cleared the runway, Gatwick Airport reopened and resumed operations. Despite reopening, delays and schedule changes continued as the airport worked to clear the backlog caused by the disruption. Some arrivals and departures remained affected into the following
day.
Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest flight information amid ongoing disruptions at Gatwick. No official detailed explanation has been issued concerning why the British Airways flight remained on the runway or the exact causes behind each emergency declaration. Authorities have not confirmed specific recovery timelines or rescheduling plans.
The incident on the night before July 15, 2026, underscores Gatwick Airport’s vulnerability to significant disruption when its single main runway is blocked, as the northern runway is generally reserved as a standby facility rather than for normal arrivals or departures.
