An investigation is under way after a deportee apparently broke free from security guards and ran across a Heathrow runway, prompting a brief shutdown of aircraft movements. The man, who was being deported to India on Sunday, managed to slip out of a waist restraint while being escorted to a plane at Terminal 2.

He was filmed sprinting across the tarmac near active takeoff paths, causing confusion and alarm among aviation staff and onlookers. Footage of the incident, captured by a plane spotter and posted to the Big Jet TV YouTube channel, shows the man running as aircraft were preparing to taxi.

A Mitie spokesperson told the Guardian the detainee was quickly apprehended and later handed over to the authorities after being reboarded on the same flight.

Metropolitan Police said they helped detain the individual and that airport operations resumed shortly afterwards.

Aviation expert John Van Hoogstraten warned that any unauthorised person airside poses a major safety risk, especially near active runways and jet engines.

He said: “The minute an unaccounted person is airside there’s no protection about what happens next in operations.”

Heathrow Airport said it worked with partners to resolve the incident and that flights were continuing as scheduled.

The Home Office confirmed that contractor Mitie, which is responsible for removals, has launched a formal investigation.

Express.co.uk has contacted Heathrow Airport for comment.

London’s Heathrow remains the UK’s busiest airport, handling a record 83.9 million passengers in 2024—a 5.9% increase on the previous year

It ranks second in Europe after Istanbul and fourth globally by passenger volume

Heathrow operates almost 1,400 flights daily, with nearly 84 million passengers annually and approximately 475,000 aircraft movements each year

Despite its soaring passenger numbers, the airport is running at 99% capacity, prompting ongoing plans—including a potential third runway and over £2 billion investment—to boost capacity through the late 2020s