A Ryanair flight from Manchester Airport was forced to make an emergency return shortly after take-off on Sunday morning. The Boeing 737-800, operating as Flight RK3226, departed Manchester at 8.39am, nearly an hour behind schedule, bound for Sandefjord Airport in Torp, Norway.
Approximately 40 minutes into the flight, while cruising at 37,000 feet over the North Sea, the crew issued a Squawk 7700, the international code for a general emergency. The aircraft then executed a sharp U-turn and diverted back to Manchester Airport.
A Ryanair spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating: "This flight from Manchester to Oslo Torp (24 Mar) diverted back to Manchester due to a minor technical issue with the aircraft. To minimise disruption, we arranged for a replacement aircraft to operate this flight to Oslo Torp."
No injuries were reported, and passengers were transferred to the replacement aircraft for their onward journey. The cause of the technical issue is under investigation.
