Thousands of passengers faced disruption at Birmingham Airport on Wednesday after a small aircraft made an emergency landing, forcing the runway to close for several hours. The incident occurred at around 1.40pm, involving a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air flying to Belfast. Three people were treated at the scene, with one suffering minor injuries.
At least 25 departures were cancelled, and incoming flights were diverted to Manchester and East Midlands airports. The runway reopened shortly before 8pm, with flights resuming. Birmingham Airport apologised for the disruption and advised passengers to check with their airlines for updates.
Passengers described frustration and uncertainty. Gunnar Lauridsen, 76, from Denmark, feared missing his connecting flight to Billund, potentially requiring an overnight stay in Amsterdam. Camile Monteleone, 30, was waiting for information on her Ryanair flight to Barcelona. Faye Melhuish, 38, returning from Spain with her baby, had her flight diverted to East Midlands.
West Midlands police confirmed the emergency landing, and the Civil Aviation Authority said the Air Accidents Investigations Branch would lead the investigation. Woodgate Aviation, operator of the aircraft, stated the landing gear had malfunctioned. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the disruption as minimal but acknowledged passenger frustration.
