Two flights have been disrupted within seconds of each other in separate incidents at the UK’s second biggest airport.
The British Airways and easyJet flights encountered problems on their way to or from Gatwick Airport on Tuesday afternoon.
In the first incident, BA flight BA2203 to Cancun declared a ‘full emergency’ due to fumes in the cabin.
The flight was forced to land at 3.29pm yesterday after the pilots were forced to open windows in the cockpit to let in fresh air, The Sun reports.
It circled London for about 45 minutes and dumped fuel before it was able to return to Gatwick, meanwhile oxygen masks were deployed as the 340 passengers and crew reported a ‘smell of used socks’ which left them ‘dizzy’.
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The BA plane landed back at Gatwick almost an hour after its initial takeoff at 2.11pm, and both the plane and runway needed thorough inspection after the unscheduled return.
Passengers were delayed by 24 hours until their replacement flight, with BA sending them to local airport hotels overnight.
A BA spokesperson said: ‘The aircraft landed safely at Gatwick after our pilots identified a technical issue.
‘Customers disembarked normally and we’ve apologised for the disruption to their travel plans.’
The second incident saw easyJet flight EZY8520 from Madeira declare a ‘pan pan’ incident after a suspected bird strike.
Pilots requested a ‘continuous descent into Gatwick Airport’ and ‘sterile runway’ to deliver its 190 passengers and crew safely at 3.30pm.
Officials had to then inspect the runway before it could be used again by other planes.
A spokesperson for easyJet said: ‘Flight EZY8520 from Funchal to London Gatwick on July 155 requested a priority landing into London Gatwick.
“The aircraft landed normally was met by emergency services in line with procedures, purely as a precaution.
“The safety of our customers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority and easyJet operates its fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with all manufacturers’ guidelines.”
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