Dozens of flights to London Heathrow Airport have been delayed or diverted because the Royal Air Force needed use of its airspace.

At least five British Airways flights and a Virgin Atlantic flight are understood to have been diverted to other airports, the Mirror reports.

The decision to use the airspace over the UK's busiest airport was "unplanned", a Heathrow Airport spokesperson said.

Passengers said they were told by pilots that their flights were being held as the result of a "security incident".

Some planes are stacking in the sky above Greater London as they await clearance to land.

It's understood the planes that had to divert were running low on fuel.

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