Overview
- A Norse Atlantic Airways Boeing 787-9 (flight Z0701, registration G-CKOF) rejected its takeoff roll on Gatwick’s runway 26L and came to a stop on Friday, blocking the airport’s main runway.
- Emergency services attended the scene, engineers assessed the jet, and Gatwick officials said the aircraft was towed clear after a full safety inspection with no injuries reported.
- Flight operations resumed about 50 minutes after the incident according to airport statements and flight-tracking services that confirmed the Dreamliner taxied to a remote stand.
- Passengers on the flight described a sudden, heavy braking after crew reported a technical fault and some early reports suggested a nose-gear or landing-gear problem, a detail that remains unconfirmed.
- The closure caused an immediate ground stop, forced diversions to London Luton and Stansted and left affected travellers awaiting replacement services while underscoring Gatwick’s operational vulnerability and plans to bring a secondary strip into routine use.