Delays at Gatwick after plane makes emergency landing
This article was written by James Meikle, for guardian.co.uk on Monday 16th April 2012 13.01 UTC
Flights in and out of Gatwick airport were suspended after a Virgin Atlantic flight with 299 passengers and 13 crew made an emergency landing after a “technical problem” on board the Airbus 330-300.
The airline said the captain had decided to immediately evacuate the plane after touchdown “as a precautionary measure”.
“The safety and welfare of our crew and passengers is Virgin Atlantic’s top priority”, the company said in a statement.
A Gatwick airport spokeswoman said the aircraft “has made a safe emergency landing, the emergency services are on the scene and the aircraft is safe and passengers are being disembarked.
“Because the aircraft is on the runway all flights in and out of Gatwick are suspended until further notice.”
Flight VS27 had taken off from Gatwick for Orlando, Florida, on Monday.
“Our teams at Gatwick are now looking after our passengers and assisting with their immediate requirements.”
More details soon…
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