Gatwick Airport temporarily closed

July 24, 2009

Gatwick Airport had to be temporarily closed today after a Flybe flight from Paris to Cardiff made an emergency landing.

The runway was shut from 11.25am until just before 1pm as flight BE1432 reportedly suffered an unspecified technical fault causing smoke to gather in the roof of the cabin. All 46 passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft and transported to a reception area for welfare assistance.

There were no reported injuries, with emergency vehicles on hand as a precaution.

The aircraft was soon cleared from the runway and the airport reopened at 12.58pm. Eleven flights due to land at Gatwick were diverted to other airports and 15 held in waiting-to-land stacking positions during the closure.

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