Emirates A380 Causes Flight Delays at London Gatwick Airport Due to Technical Fault

An Emirates Airbus A380 with registration number A6-EUN caused flight disruptions at London Gatwick Airport (LGW) on July 11, 2023, due to a hydraulic failure upon landing. The flight, EK9, had departed from Dubai International Airport (DXB) earlier that day and was carrying 408 passengers onboard. The aircraft stopped abruptly on the runway, causing the closure of the main runway for nearly 45 minutes. The front landing gear was bent at landing, and the aircraft had to be towed off the runway.

Airport officials immediately reacted to the incident and met the plane on the runway. As a result of the runway closure, five aircraft were forced to divert to London Luton Airport (LTN), and dozens of flights were delayed. Several aircraft had to hold a position in the air southeast of the airport and await their arrival time.

Emirates spokesperson released a statement apologizing for any inconvenience caused and stating that all passengers were safely disembarked. The necessary inspections were carried out, and the flight EK10 departed for Dubai with a 2-hour and 10-minute delay.

A380 Technical Issues

The Airbus A380 has been experiencing technical issues recently, with Emirates reporting accelerated wing-spar cracking during the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline grounded all of its superjumbos for inspections, which found unusual cracking in the wing spar area of the aircraft. Airbus announced its support for Emirates by carrying out inspections and repairs on the affected A380s.

The manufacturer also stated that it would bring back a share of the over 250 A380s it has produced to assess the status of the wing spars. Airbus shut down its plant in Toulouse, where the aircraft had originally been manufactured, in 2021 after the last A380 left the assembly plant.

Emirates A380s are still operative despite the technical issues, and the airline assures passengers that the cracks found do not immediately represent a safety issue.

Image by: ***Jack Li*** via PLANESPOTTERS

The Emirates Airbus A380 technical fault caused flight disruptions at London Gatwick Airport, with several aircraft diverting and dozens of flights delayed. The A380 has been experiencing technical issues recently, with accelerated wing-spar cracking reported by Emirates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The manufacturer, Airbus, announced its support for Emirates by carrying out inspections and repairs on the affected A380s. Emirates A380s are still operative, and the airline assures passengers that the cracks found do not immediately represent a safety issue.

Have you ever experienced a flight delay or diversion due to technical issues? If so, how did the airline handle the situation?

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