An easyJet flight from Tenerife to London Gatwick declared an in-flight emergency at 30,000ft due to a technical issue, but landed safely and was met by fire engines and emergency service vehicles as a precautionary measure.
Emergency Declared Mid-Flight
Flight EZY58XM/U28040, an Airbus A320-200, transmitted a squawk 7700 emergency code as it approached London, according to aviation tracking website Flightradar24. The aircraft had departed Tenerife at approximately 10.10pm local time, with the journey lasting just over four hours.
The squawk 7700 signal is an internationally recognised transponder code indicating a general in-flight emergency, as reported by the Mirror. Despite the technical problem, the aircraft was able to proceed to Gatwick Airport and land without incident.
Response at Gatwick
Social media reports suggested the aircraft was greeted on the tarmac by emergency response vehicles, including fire crews, according to the Mirror.
An easyJet spokesman said: "Flight EZY8040 from Tenerife to London Gatwick experienced a technical issue on arrival into Gatwick this morning. The flight landed normally and was met by emergency services in line with procedures and a precautionary measure only."
The spokesman added: "The safety and wellbeing of customers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority and easyJet operates its fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with manufacturers' guidelines."
