Jet2 flight forced to make 320-mile diversion after declaring emergency over English Channel
A Glasgow-bound Jet2 flight was forced into a diversion after sending an emergency signal over the English Channel.
The Jet2 Boeing 737-800 aircraft departed Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport at around 1.28pm on Thursday, February 19.
The first two hours of the flight appeared routine until they reached the waters between northern France and the south coast of England.
At around 3.25pm, almost two hours after take-off, having just reached the English Channel, an emergency occurred on board.
The flight crew issued a Squawk 7700 code – the international signal for a general emergency.
A “7700” code allows Air Traffic Control (ATC) to clear the surrounding airspace and provide the distressed aircraft with priority handling for a landing.
AirLive reported the aircraft was vectored by ATC toward a nearby airport for an unscheduled landing at Bristol Airport.
A Glasgow-bound Jet2 flight was forced into a diversion after sending an emergency signal over the English Channel
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PAEmergency services were positioned on the ground as a precautionary measure for such diversions to ensure the safety of the passengers and crew upon arrival.
After the emergency signal was given, the flight began an immediate and rapid descent from its cruising altitude and turned away from its original flight path to Glasgow.
Flight Radar shows the flight landed in Bristol at around 3.58pm.
FlightRadar shows the emergency signal given just after entering airspace between France and the southern coast of England
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FLIGHTRADAR
Jet2 later confirmed the emergency was due to a passenger requiring medical attention.
A spokesman for the airline said: “Flight LS178 from Alicante to Glasgow diverted to Bristol, due to a customer requiring medical attention.”
The flight later took off from Bristol Airport at 5.07pm on the same day.
It ultimately landed in its final destination, Glasgow Airport, at around 6.10pm – more than two hours later than its originally planned 4.40pm landing.
