A British Airways flight from Larnaca was forced to divert from Heathrow to Gatwick after missing the airport's strict nighttime curfew.
The BA707 flight, which departed the Cyprus airport at 9:32pm—over three hours after its scheduled takeoff—landed at Gatwick at 12:12am on Tuesday, according to AirNav Radar.
Curfew Rules at Heathrow
Heathrow enforces rigorous restrictions on aircraft movements late at night to reduce noise pollution for the millions of residents living under its flight paths. The core curfew means scheduled flights are heavily restricted from landing and taking off between 11pm and 6am.
The airport operates under a strict 'night quota' system between 11pm and 6am, which limits both the absolute number of flights allowed to land and the total amount of aircraft noise permitted.
Diversion to Gatwick
Unless an official emergency is declared, air traffic control will deny landing rights past the curfew, forcing a diversion. Flights heading to Heathrow are often diverted to Gatwick or other regional hubs if they miss the curfew.
The BA707 flight was diverted to Gatwick after the four-hour journey from the holiday hotspot, marking the latest instance of such a diversion.
