British Airways Pilot Speaks to Relieved Passengers After Emergency Landing in Gatwick

A British Airways plane flying from Naples, Italy, arrived safely in London’s Gatwick Airport in the early hours of Friday, July 20 after an emergency landing caused by a technical failure.As a result, several flights had to be diverted and the runway had to be closed for several hours. Emergency services were on the tarmac as the A320 landed.“We had a hydraulic leak and were forced to make a very fast emergency landing,” said passenger Hofit Golan, who posted footage from the aftermath of the landing on Instagram. “We dropped 30000 feet in 20 minutes. Our landing gear had to be manually forced down. People on the plane were In tears and panic.”Passengers on the plane were seen cheering after the emergency landing. A speech by the pilot to passengers was also recorded by Golan.“Our flight landed safely after our pilots requested a priority landing as a precaution after a technical fault,” said a British Airways spokesperson. “Our engineers are currently conducting a thorough check of the aircraft.” Credit: Hofit Golan via Storyful