An easyJet flight bound for Southampton was forced to divert to Liverpool after declaring a mid-air emergency just 25 minutes after departing Glasgow, prompting an unscheduled landing and delaying passengers’ journeys.
Flight U2415, operated by an Airbus A319, left Glasgow Airport at 8.25am on Sunday, October 18, for the south coast. It was expected to arrive in Southampton at about 9.25am before the crew issued the emergency squawk code 7700 while flying at approximately 24,000ft over Lancashire, according to FlightRadar24 data.
The aircraft turned towards Liverpool John Lennon Airport and circled briefly before landing safely at 9.10am.
The reason for the emergency remains unknown. Code 7700 signals a general emergency and can be used for a range of situations, including technical problems or a medical incident. It does not, by itself, identify the nature or severity of the problem.
The flight later departed Liverpool, with its revised arrival time in Southampton put at about 11.30am.
The incident comes amid a series of recent diversions involving passenger aircraft. On Tuesday, a British Airways service bound for Faro, Portugal, returned to Gatwick after a reported minor technical issue involving a cracked window. The aircraft landed safely, and passengers were expected to continue their journey after the airline apologised for the delay.
Last week, another British Airways flight travelling to Chicago returned to Heathrow after spending several hours circling over Ireland and issuing an emergency alert. Passengers reported that oxygen masks had dropped from the cabin ceiling amid turbulence, while flight-tracking data indicated a rapid descent from 37,000ft to 9,000ft.
The incidents have drawn attention to the procedures crews use when an aircraft encounters a problem in flight. Declaring an emergency allows pilots to receive priority assistance from air traffic control and enables airport teams to prepare for the aircraft’s arrival.
For passengers aboard the easyJet service, the aircraft’s safe landing brought an end to the immediate uncertainty. The cause of the diversion, however, had yet to be established.
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