Several flights declared general emergencies and were diverted during a disruption at London Gatwick Airport.
In total, 14 flights were diverted before the airport reopened at around 1:30 a.m.
Hundreds of passengers traveling with British Airways, TUI, easyJet, and Jet2 were rerouted to Heathrow, Stansted, Luton, and Birmingham.
A Gatwick spokesperson said a small number of flights were diverted, with the majority later returning to the airport, and emphasized that safety and security remain the top priority.
One passenger en route from Tenerife described being diverted to Stansted and remaining on the aircraft while awaiting further instructions.
Another traveler reported receiving a surge of emergency transponder alerts on a flight tracking app, describing the volume of notifications as unprecedented.
The incident caused significant delays and uncertainty for affected passengers throughout the night.
