A security breach at Manchester Airport has led to seven flights being diverted, with some landing at Birmingham Airport and East Midlands Airport. The incident occurred overnight when a person encroached on the airport site, prompting police to attend the scene. The individual was arrested after approximately 15 minutes, according to a statement from Manchester Airport.
Flights Diverted to Birmingham and East Midlands
Among the affected services was a Ryanair flight from Agadir in Morocco, which had been due to land at Manchester but was instead diverted to Birmingham Airport. A TUI flight, operating as TOM1MB from Corfu, was redirected to East Midlands Airport, as reported by Flightradar24.
Additionally, a TUI flight from Boa Vista in Cape Verde was diverted to East Midlands after the crew squawked the 7700 general emergency code. Flight tracking data shows the aircraft initially headed towards Manchester before circling over the Peak District and then diverting to East Midlands.
Seventeen Flights Held in the Air
In total, 17 flights were held in the sky following the incident. Aviation account Squark posted on X that aircraft were "stacking" around midnight, writing: "Multiple aircraft holding over Manchester Airport as TUI TOM439 (Cape Verde→MAN) squawks 7700 and diverts. Emergency inbound, arrivals stacking."
The airport spokesperson confirmed that the incident was resolved and flights have returned to normal operations. A temporary fix has been implemented following the security breach.
Birmingham Airport Unaffected
Confirming with BirminghamLive, Birmingham Airport stated: "There was no impact on Birmingham Airport operations."
