Bristol Airport in the United Kingdom has suspended all flight operations after a defect was discovered on part of its runway, leaving passengers stranded and forcing some flights to divert to other airports.

The disruption began at about 6:08pm on Friday, with the airport initially expecting operations to resume by 8am on Saturday. However, the suspension was extended as officials continued inspection and repair work on the affected section.

The airport said the decision was made as a precaution, stressing that passenger safety remained its priority.

The disruption caused confusion among travellers, with several passengers complaining about poor communication and difficulties retrieving their luggage after flights were cancelled.

One passenger, Richard Broadbent, said he and his family were due to travel to Newcastle when they were told all flights had been cancelled. He said passengers were moved into a crowded area and later became distressed when alarms sounded.

Another traveller, Paul Smith, who was scheduled to travel to Glasgow for his son’s 20th birthday, also criticised the support provided to passengers.

Flights heading to Bristol were diverted to airports including London Gatwick, Birmingham and Cardiff.

Although some passengers described the damaged section as a hole in the runway, the airport only identified it as a defect and did not give further details about the cause.

Bristol Airport advised affected passengers to contact their airlines for updates on their individual flights, while airlines warned travellers to expect continued disruption.

Normal flight operations had not fully resumed as of the time of the report.