Firefighters called to "full emergency" at Gatwick Airport
Firefighters were called to Gatwick Airport yesterday after a pilot had reportedly taken ill.
According to Crawley News, two fire engines from Crawley Fire Station and on from East Grinstead attended the "full emergency".
A West Sussex Fire and Rescue spokesman said that a pilot onboard a plane due to land at the airport had been "taken ill".
It's been an eventful week at Gatwick Airport.
A Virgin Atlantic plane was forced to make an emergency landing at the airport last week after a technical fault occured with one of its landing gears.
The aircraft had been travelling to Las Vegas when the pilot made the decision to turn back, reports the Evening Standard.
A spokesman for Gatwick Airport said "We can confirm that Virgin Atlantic flight VS043 departed is returning to Gatwick after the aircraft developed a technical fault.
"In line with standard procedure, emergency services are on standby at the airport purely as a precaution."
Virgin Atlantic president Sir Richard Branson took to Twitter to praise the pilot and crew on board the jumbo jet.
Related stories
'No experience necessary': Virgin Atlantic launches programme for potential pilots
Plane makes emergency landing after nine crew fall ill
