UK-bound Jet2 flight from Spain declares mid-air emergency | UK | News

A Jet2 flight bound for the UK was forced to declare a mid-air emergency this afternoon after leaving Spain. Flight LS178 took off from Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport at 14.20 local time and headed towards Glasgow. About two hours into the journey, upon reaching the airspace between northern France and the south coast of England, the Boeing 737-800 transmitted a Squawk 7700 code.

At around 16.20 local time (15.20 GMT), the aircraft broadcast the international signal for a general emergency. According to aviation tracking data, it immediately and rapidly descended from cruising altitude, veering away from its original flight path towards Scotland.

The Squawk 7700 allows Air Traffic Control (ATC) to clear the surrounding airspace and provide priority intervention for landing aircraft in distress.

ATC instructed the Jet2 aircraft to make an unscheduled landing at Bristol Airport and land just before 16:00.

Emergency services are often positioned on the ground when these splits occur as a precaution to ensure the safety of passengers and crew upon arrival.

*** Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us your Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings. ***

Although Jet2 has not confirmed the exact nature of the incident, Squawk 7700 is the international aviation transponder code used by pilots to indicate “general emergency”.

Activating this code immediately alerts ground controllers and allows priority actions such as direct guidance or emergency landing clearance.

Common causes include engine failure, medical emergencies, or technical problems.

Jet2 has been contacted for comment.