British police were called to London's Gatwick Airport Sunday to calm almost 200 angry passengers stuck on the runway aboard an Air India flight for more than eight hours.

The Mumbai to Heathrow Airport flight was diverted to Gatwick because of heavy fog Sunday. The crew left the plane, leaving the passengers on board until a new crew could arrive to take them to Heathrow — a short 71 kilometers away.

The passengers complained that they were not allowed to get off the plane and make their own way to Heathrow. They say they were given little food except for bags of potato chips and Coca-Cola. They say no one told them why they could not leave the plane.

A Gatwick spokesman said it was Air India's decision to keep the passengers in place. The airline has not yet commented.