Grace DaviesAt least nine passenger jets declared mid-air emergencies over London late on Tuesday 7 July 2026 after a British Airways aircraft was left disabled on the single runway at Gatwick Airport, forcing crews to divert to Luton and Stansted as their fuel ran low. For the thousands of travellers on board, and the millions who saw the headlines the next morning, the incident was a jolting reminder that flying can turn tense in minutes. If those alerts left you with a knot in your stomach, you are far from alone, and there are proven ways to manage the fear.
What happened at Gatwick
The disruption began when British Airways Flight 2673, an Airbus A320 arriving from Palma de Mallorca, was scheduled to land at 11:50pm but was kept on the runway by an emergency response, according to BNO News. With Gatwick operating from a single runway, arriving aircraft had nowhere to go. Several circled in holding patterns until their fuel dropped low enough that crews declared emergencies and "squawked" the code 7700, GB News reported.
The affected flights included easyJet services U28704 from Agadir, U28012 from Valencia, U28042 from Fuerteventura, U28186 from Athens and U28330 from Rome, several of which were diverted to London Luton and London Stansted. The runway reopened at around 1am, allowing the backlog of jets to land. No injuries were reported, and low-fuel diversions of this kind are handled routinely by air traffic control.
Why the word "emergency" hits so hard
The technical reality is reassuring: declaring an emergency and squawking 7700 is a standard procedure that gives a flight priority to land safely. It does not mean the aircraft is in danger of crashing. Yet the language is alarming, and for people who already feel uneasy about flying, a night of "nine planes declare emergency" headlines can deepen an existing fear or spark a new one.
Fear of flying, known clinically as aerophobia, is one of the most common specific phobias. It can involve a racing heart, sweating, nausea, a sense of losing control, or full panic attacks triggered simply by booking a ticket or watching aviation news. Many sufferers avoid flying altogether, missing family events, holidays and work opportunities as a result.
The expert take: when flight fear becomes a phobia
Occasional nerves during turbulence are normal. A phobia is different: it is a persistent, excessive fear that is out of proportion to the actual risk and that interferes with your daily life or decisions. According to the NHS, phobias can be treated very effectively, most often with talking therapies, and you should consider seeking help if a fear is having a significant impact on how you live. You can read the NHS guidance on phobias at nhs.uk.
A qualified therapist or psychologist will typically use cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to break the cycle. CBT helps you identify the catastrophic thoughts that fuel the fear ("the emergency call means we are going to crash"), test them against reality, and gradually build tolerance through controlled, step-by-step exposure. For many people, a short course of sessions is enough to make flying manageable again.
Signs it may be time to speak to a professional include:
- You cancel or refuse trips because of the fear of flying.
- Anticipating a flight causes weeks of dread, insomnia or panic.
- News of incidents like the Gatwick diversions leaves you unable to stop thinking about danger.
- You rely on alcohol or sedatives to get through a journey.
Practical steps to steady your nerves
While therapy addresses the root cause, several techniques can help in the moment. Slow, controlled breathing — a longer exhale than inhale — calms the body's stress response. Understanding what you are hearing also helps: knowing that a "declared emergency" is a precautionary priority request, not a sign of imminent disaster, removes much of the mystery that fuels panic. Some travellers find it useful to tell cabin crew they are anxious flyers, as staff are trained to offer reassurance.
It is also worth putting risk in perspective. The Gatwick incident ended with every aircraft landing safely, exactly as the aviation safety system is designed to ensure. Diversions and holding patterns are tools that protect passengers, not evidence that something has gone catastrophically wrong.
Getting the right help
If flight anxiety is shaping your choices, professional support can change that. A consultation with a therapist or clinical psychologist who works with phobias can assess how severe your fear is and recommend a treatment plan, whether that is CBT, exposure work or relaxation training. Some also run dedicated fear-of-flying programmes that combine psychological techniques with practical knowledge about how aircraft and air traffic control operate.
You can connect with a qualified mental health expert through Expert Zoom to talk through your fear and find a path back to comfortable travel, well before your next trip.
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice. If you are struggling with anxiety or panic, speak to your GP or a qualified mental health professional.
