A Jet2 flight bound for Ibiza was forced to divert to another country after declaring a mid-air emergency. Flight LS148 had left London Stansted airport just after 7am before it performed a sudden U-turn while flying over central France before landing in Paris.
Emergency signal and diversion
The captain broadcast a squawk 7700 code – the recognised signal for a general emergency onboard – while the aircraft was cruising at 35,000ft. The Boeing 737-800 diverted to Charles de Gaulle airport where it was met by emergency services.
According to Airlive, the captain intended to resume the flight within an hour of arriving in the French capital at around 8.48pm. FlightRadar24 shows the plane having departed Paris several hours later before finally arriving in Ibiza at 1.35pm local time.
Context of rising diversions
It comes as airlines are reporting an increased number of flights diverted to offload drunken or violent passengers. Airlines UK, which represents carriers in the UK, has argued for further measures to combat the growing issue, including the creation of a list of passengers banned from flying.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary admitted drunken passengers had become a ‘real challenge’ for airlines and called for restrictions on alcohol being served at airports. Metro has contacted Jet2 for comment.
