An emergency situation unfolded during the approach of an easyJet flight to Manchester Airport. Passengers on board the Airbus A320-200 were en route from Amsterdam when the flight crew issued a mid-air alert, prompting the aircraft to enter a holding pattern.
The pilot of easyJet flight U22164, originating from Schiphol Airport, altered the flight path towards Manchester Airport, circling north of the city, as indicated by flight trackers. Approximately an hour after departure, the emergency was declared by the flight crew in preparation for the descent into Manchester.
Typically, a squawk code of 7700 is utilized to communicate an onboard emergency to air traffic control, prioritizing the aircraft for landing with emergency services on standby. This code serves as a general emergency signal without specifying the exact issue onboard, distinguishing it from hijacking (7500) or radio failure (7600) situations.
Following the emergency declaration, the plane was directed onto the approach path and landed safely on Runway 05R at Manchester Airport without any additional incidents. Despite a delayed arrival time of 3:05 pm, 45 minutes past the scheduled 2:20 pm time, the aircraft successfully completed the landing procedure.
An easyJet spokesperson informed The Mirror that a priority landing request was made due to a technical problem. The airline statement confirmed that flight EZY2164 from Amsterdam to Manchester sought a priority landing due to a technical issue, emphasizing the adherence to standard safety protocols for a normal landing and passenger disembarkation.
Earlier this month, numerous UK flights experienced delays due to air traffic control issues in the UK. On July 7, disruptions across UK airspace occurred following a problem at the Met Office, which prevented the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) from receiving crucial weather data.
Ryanair encountered delays affecting 155 flights and nearly 30,000 passengers, with up to three-hour delays, while EasyJet faced more significant impact with 253 delayed flights, constituting 13% of its planned departures on that day. NATS attributed the disruptions to a technical issue at the Met Office, which hindered the flow of essential weather information into their systems.
NATS stated that air traffic restrictions were imposed due to the weather data issue but were subsequently resolved. Collaboration with the Met Office continued to address and rectify the underlying problem, ensuring the safe management of air traffic operations.