An easyJet flight encountered a mid-air emergency while en route to Edinburgh Airport in the UK. The aircraft was compelled to divert to Manchester Airport due to strong winds this morning. Flight EJU7835 departed Amsterdam Schiphol Airport at approximately 6:15 a.m. on Thursday with the intention of landing at Edinburgh around 7:50 a.m. However, after multiple unsuccessful landing attempts, the plane resorted to diverting to Manchester Airport.
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 depicted the aircraft executing a “go-around” maneuver at Edinburgh Airport, where the landing attempt was abandoned, and the plane circled back for another try. Subsequently, the flight altered its course to Manchester and activated an emergency procedure by squawking 7700.
Squawking 7700 indicates the declaration of a general emergency, encompassing various potential scenarios such as technical or medical issues. This protocol enables air traffic controllers and ground personnel to respond promptly and efficiently to the emergency situation. The flight successfully landed at Manchester Airport at around 8:20 a.m.
According to easyJet, the winds at Edinburgh exceeded the safe operating limits for the aircraft, prompting the diversion. The airline has made arrangements for coach transfers to transport passengers back to Edinburgh. Notably, a Met Office yellow weather warning is currently in effect for southern, central, eastern, and north-east Scotland, forecasting winds of up to 70 mph.
The Met Office highlighted the likelihood of transportation delays across road, rail, ferry, and air services, as well as potential power disruptions. Despite the challenging weather conditions, all other flights managed to land at Edinburgh Airport without incident this morning. An easyJet spokesperson expressed regret for the inconvenience caused by the weather-related diversion, emphasizing the airline’s utmost priority on passenger and crew safety and well-being.