A TUI flight from Cape Verde was forced to divert to East Midlands Airport after declaring a general emergency when its fuel ran critically low during a holding pattern over Manchester Airport. The Boeing 737 MAX, carrying up to 230 passengers, had been instructed to circle above the Peak District after a person encroached onto the airfield at Manchester Airport on Friday night.
Holding pattern and fuel crisis
Flight BY439, operating from Aristides Pereira International Airport in Cape Verde, was in its final descent when Air Traffic Control directed it to enter a holding pattern at 6,000ft. The instruction followed a security incident that prompted Greater Manchester Police to detain a 17-year-old under the Mental Health Act, with enquiries ongoing.
At least 17 aircraft were kept circling above the airport while the situation was being dealt with, and seven services were rerouted to alternative airports. After approximately 20 minutes of circling, the fuel reserves on board the TUI aircraft began running dangerously low.
Emergency squawk code 7700
According to Air Live, the plane subsequently declared a general emergency by transmitting squawk code 7700. This code is used by pilots when an aircraft encounters an in-flight emergency requiring urgent priority treatment and support from air traffic controllers. Such crises encompass mechanical faults, onboard security risks, medical emergencies, or uncertain or developing circumstances.
The code functions as a discreet "mayday" that triggers air traffic control to evacuate airspace and notify emergency services on the ground. The aircraft is then directed to the closest appropriate runway.
Diversion to East Midlands Airport
Owing to stringent fuel restrictions and ambiguity regarding the duration of the airfield closure at Manchester, the plane was rerouted to East Midlands Airport, touching down there shortly past midnight on Saturday. The aircraft was subsequently refuelled and departed again roughly an hour after landing.
Manchester Airport reopened to arrivals 15 minutes after the diversion. The journey from East Midlands Airport to Manchester Airport lasted merely 18 minutes, with the flight ultimately landing at 1.35am on Saturday.
Passenger account
Angela Slater, a passenger aboard the TUI flight from Cape Verde, recounted her experience on Facebook. She wrote: "Our flight from Cape Verde was one affected. Had to divert to the East Midlands, refuel and then come back to Manchester.
"Should have landed around 11.30pm instead [it was] 1.30am-ish, got home at 3.30am. But the flight [crew and captain] were amazing, kept us informed as much as they could and did what they had to do in a crazy situation.
"We didn't have enough fuel to stay up in the air for an unguaranteed time. Think we did about 7 laps before diverting. Never ever seen so many planes up in the sky when actually been on a flight before."
The person detained was transported to hospital from the location. The aircraft's diversion to East Midlands Airport ensured a safe landing, and the flight later completed its journey to Manchester without further incident.
