A Jet2 flight traveling from Turkey declared a mid-air emergency as it approached Glasgow. The Boeing 737 issued a 'Squawk 7700'—the international code for a general emergency—while over the North Sea this afternoon. The plane was flying at approximately 36,000 feet when the alert was issued.
The Jet2 flight was given priority approach into Glasgow Airport. It had departed from Dalaman, Turkey, and was scheduled to arrive in Scotland at 4:35 PM UK time. Flight tracking data indicates the aircraft maintained its altitude briefly after the alert before descending when granted priority descent by Air Traffic Control.
The Jet2 flight safely landed on runway 23 at 4:32 PM. The exact nature of the incident remains unclear.
Fuel Crisis Affecting Airlines
This incident follows warnings from the boss of a major airline about more flight cancellations after his company was forced to cancel some journeys from the UK. Norse Atlantic Airways CEO Eivind Roald has already canceled flights from London Gatwick Airport to Los Angeles. He stated he had to act due to jet fuel prices skyrocketing 'more than 100 percent after a few days.'
Dozens of airlines worldwide have canceled flights as Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz—a critical waterway for global supplies—continues. Simultaneously, Donald Trump has ordered the US Navy to blockade Iranian ports.
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Mr. Roald revealed he expects airlines to keep canceling flights. He said, 'From our side we will continue flying from London Gatwick and from Athens and Rome this summer, we don't have any plans to cancel more flights. When it comes to our competitors, I can't really say, I assume you will see more cancellations coming, we often see it coming in short haul flights in Europe. The long haul flights are still there.'
After canceling journeys between London and Los Angeles, Norse Atlantic stated: 'This cancellation is due to the unforeseen global fuel crisis, and we unfortunately—with heavy heart—had to cancel our beloved LAX routes with too high fuel risk exposure. This will protect a sustainable future and our ability to remain a reliable service for our passengers this summer. We are truly sorry for the inconvenience, and apologize to passengers who have had their travel plans changed. We will assist disrupted passengers as best we can.'
