Planes grounded at Gatwick after aircraft stuck on runway

Flights at Gatwick Airport were brought to a standstill for nearly an hour after a plane became stuck on the runway.

A Gatwick spokesperson said the runway was closed on Friday afternoon because of a "technical issue with a departing vehicle".

The airport said the runway remained closed for 50 minutes while the plane was towed away before reopening shortly afterwards. Some flights were diverted to other airports including London Stansted and Birmingham.

A spokesperson said: "As always, safety and security is our number one priority."

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