A Jet2 flight from Alicante to Glasgow declared a mid-air emergency on Saturday afternoon as it approached the Scottish airport.
Flight LS178 departed Alicante Airport at around 1.40pm local time and was scheduled to land at Glasgow Airport at approximately 3.40pm. The Boeing 737-8 was flying over the Irish Sea near Stranraer at about 23,000ft when the crew initiated the general emergency squawk code 7700, an international signal for an in-flight emergency.
The aircraft continued north over Dumfries and Galloway and Ayrshire before landing safely at Glasgow Airport shortly after 3.40pm. A Jet2 spokesman confirmed that the alert was triggered due to a customer requiring medical attention, stating: “Our crew followed procedure and requested a priority landing due to a customer requiring medical attention.”
The 7700 squawk procedure allows air traffic controllers and ground crews to respond effectively to emergencies, which can range from technical issues to medical incidents.
