Passengers on an easyJet flight were surprised when they were informed that the aircraft would be landing at a different airport due to a mid-air emergency. The flight, traveling from the Isle of Man to Liverpool, had to divert to Manchester Airport after encountering issues during its landing attempt.
Flight tracking data indicated that EasyJet flight U251 had taken off from the Isle of Man about an hour before the emergency. The incident occurred as the plane approached Liverpool John Lennon Airport for landing.
During the landing approach at Liverpool, the flight crew had to perform a “go-around” maneuver because another aircraft was on the runway, forcing them to abort the landing. A go-around is a procedure where an aircraft on final approach decides not to land for various reasons, such as an obstructed runway or an unstable approach.
Following the aborted landing, the Airbus A319 circled at 6,000 feet outside Liverpool before declaring a general airborne emergency using the Squawk 7700 code. Air traffic controllers then redirected the plane to Manchester Airport, which has better emergency facilities and longer runways for such situations.
Emergency response teams and airport fire services at Manchester Airport were prepared for the unexpected landing of the twin-engine aircraft, a standard protocol for unscheduled emergencies. The flight safely landed at Manchester around 4:05 pm.
The Mirror has reached out to easyJet for a statement regarding the incident.
