An EasyJet flight travelling from the United Kingdom to Fuerteventura was forced to declare a mid-air emergency, leading to an unscheduled diversion to Portugal. The aircraft, an Airbus A320, safely landed at Porto's Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport following the incident.
Emergency Declaration and Diversion Details
The flight, which originated from Edinburgh Airport in Scotland, took off at 10.59am GMT on Tuesday. During its journey towards Spain's Canary Islands, the crew transmitted a Squawk 7700 general emergency code. This signal is used internationally to indicate an aircraft is experiencing a problem requiring priority handling from air traffic control.
EasyJet confirmed the diversion was necessary due to a technical issue with the aircraft. The airline stated that safety is its utmost priority, and the decision to divert was made in accordance with standard operational procedures. The plane landed without further incident in Porto, where passengers were disembarked safely.
Journey Completion with Replacement Aircraft
Following the diversion, arrangements were made to continue the passengers' travel to their original destination. A replacement aircraft was organised, which departed from Porto at 6.38pm GMT. This plane subsequently landed safely at Fuerteventura Airport at 8.39pm GMT.
This arrival time was approximately four hours and nine minutes later than the flight's originally scheduled arrival. EasyJet has procedures in place to manage such disruptions, including providing assistance to affected passengers as required.
Recent Similar Aviation Incidents
This event follows another recent in-flight emergency involving a UK-based carrier. Earlier in the week, a Jet2 flight from Lanzarote to Manchester also declared an emergency, transmitting a Squawk 7700 code approximately twenty-five minutes before its scheduled landing.
In that instance, the declaration was made after air traffic control was notified that one of the pilots had become incapacitated due to a medical issue. The aircraft, flight LS980, continued its journey and landed safely at Manchester Airport at 20.14pm, where emergency services were on standby as a precaution.
A Jet2 spokesperson explained that the flight had requested a priority landing due to one pilot feeling unwell. The airline confirmed that the aircraft landed without incident and all customers disembarked normally, highlighting the robustness of crew training and safety protocols in such situations.
These incidents underscore the comprehensive safety measures and contingency planning within the aviation industry, designed to ensure passenger welfare remains paramount during unforeseen circumstances.
