A Lufthansa flight made an emergency landing following an issue reported by the crew post-takeoff. The flight, identified as LH2249, was en route from Lyon to Munich when it halted ascent at 5,400 feet and initiated a circling maneuver near Lyon Airport. The crew signaled a general emergency, denoted by “Squawk 7700,” citing a gear problem. Flight-tracking data revealed the aircraft ascending to 10,000 feet, entering Swiss airspace, circling near Lausanne, and diverting to Geneva. Departing Lyon nearly an hour behind schedule at 1:51pm CET today, the airplane landed on Geneva Airport’s runway 22 at 3:39pm, missing its intended Munich landing time of 4:04pm.
Emergency services were on standby at Geneva Airport as the plane readied for landing, with the aircraft subsequently towed off the runway before 4pm and relocated to a remote stand. Lufthansa has been contacted for a statement by the Mirror.
This incident occurred shortly after an Air India flight, originating from Amritsar in India’s Punjab state, also declared a “Squawk 7700” approaching Birmingham Airport earlier this month. Severe snowfall and freezing conditions from Storm Goretti had reduced visibility to below 500 meters, falling short of the necessary threshold for a safe touchdown.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner diverted near Leamington Spa, redirecting towards London due to a “Minimum Fuel” situation, depleting reserves beyond safe levels for further circling. This emergency status granted the plane precedence from Air Traffic Control (ATC).
The flight was redirected to London Heathrow Airport, known for longer runways and Category III Instrument Landing Systems offering enhanced safety measures. The aircraft landed securely in London.
