A Jet2 flight from Alicante to Glasgow declared a mid-air emergency on Saturday afternoon, diverting to London Gatwick Airport. The Boeing 737-8, operating as flight LS178, departed Alicante at 1:40pm local time and was originally scheduled to land at Glasgow at 3:40pm.
The crew initiated the 7700 squawk code, the international signal for a general emergency, approximately two and a half hours into the flight. Data from FlightRadar24 showed the aircraft at 23,000ft over the Irish Sea near Stranraer at the time.
The plane continued north over Dumfries and Galloway and Ayrshire before diverting to Gatwick, where it landed safely. A Jet2 spokesman confirmed the alert was 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 code is used for various emergencies, including technical or medical issues, allowing air traffic control and ground crews to respond effectively.
