Gatwick Airport flights delayed and diverted after fire alarm in air traffic control tower
FLIGHTS have been delayed and diverted at Gatwick Airport after a fire alarm in the air traffic control tower.
Staff were forced to evacuate the building after the alarm was activated before the situation was resolved.
The busy travel hub saw one flight diverted and a number of delays, according to Gatwick Airport.
An airport spokesperson confirmed to The Sun that the tower is now "fully operational".
It was confirmed there was no fire with the airport and tower fully open.
Wizz Air flight W95724 to London Gatwick was diverted to Madrid.
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Other flights saw delays after the false alarm meant planes were unable to take off or land.
A full statement from Gatwick Airport read: “There are short delays this afternoon following a fire alarm activation in the air traffic control tower.
“Staff evacuated the building however it was soon confirmed there was no fire and the tower is now open and fully operational.
“We apologise to anyone impacted however safety remains our top priority.”
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It comes after Heathrow Airport was closed due to a fire on March 21.
About 250,000 passengers were disrupted after Europe’s busiest airport was closed to all flights until about 6pm the same day.
The Metropolitan police’s counter terrorism command had been leading the investigation to establish the cause of the blaze at the nearby electrical substation in Hayes, west London.
However, it is no longer being treated as a “potentially criminal matter”, Scotland Yard has said.
The fire started on Thursday March 20 and had a severe knock-on effect for travellers the next day.
The blaze meant that no planes were allowed to take off or land, causing diversions which affected about 1,300 flights.
Some flights resumed on the evening of March 21 but airlines faced difficulties and passengers were disrupted due to airline crew being in different parts of the world.
The decision to close the airport was questioned by the head of the National Grid who said that there was enough power for the airport to remain open during the entire period it was shut down.