A flight operated by Lufthansa had to undergo an emergency landing following the identification of an issue by the crew shortly after departure. The flight, identified as LH2249, was en route from Lyon to Munich when it halted its ascent at 5,400 feet and initiated circular movements near Lyon Airport. The crew communicated a “Squawk 7700” distress signal, indicating a general emergency due to a gear problem. Subsequently, the aircraft ascended to 10,000 feet, entered Swiss airspace, circled near Lausanne, and was rerouted to Geneva as per flight-tracking data. The plane, which departed Lyon at 1.51pm CET, arrived at Geneva Airport at 3.39pm on runway 22, delayed by nearly an hour from the scheduled time of 4.04pm for Munich.
Emergency response units were on standby at Geneva Airport in anticipation of the plane’s landing, as confirmed by AirLive. Following the landing, the aircraft was towed off the runway prior to 4pm and relocated to a remote parking area, according to AirLive’s report. Lufthansa has been contacted for a statement, as confirmed by Mirror sources.
This incident occurred shortly after another flight by Air India, departing from Amritsar in India’s Punjab state, declared a “Squawk 7700” emergency while approaching Birmingham Airport earlier in the month. Adverse weather conditions caused by heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures from Storm Goretti had reduced visibility to below the required minimum for a safe landing.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft diverted its course near Leamington Spa, redirecting towards London due to a “Minimum Fuel” situation, depleting reserves beyond safe levels for continued aerial holding, as reported by AirLive. The emergency declaration enabled the plane to receive priority handling from Air Traffic Control (ATC).
The flight was redirected to London Heathrow Airport, equipped with longer runways and Category III Instrument Landing Systems, ensuring a higher safety standard. The plane landed without incident at London Heathrow, providing a safe conclusion to the emergency situation.