A Ryanair flight from Dublin to Bristol was diverted almost 910 miles to Alicante in Spain after Storm Boelo prevented it from landing in the UK.
Flight FR2955 forced to reroute
Flight FR2955 departed Dublin Airport at approximately 10pm on Saturday, October 24, expecting a short journey across the Irish Sea to Bristol. However, as the aircraft began its approach to the city, the landing attempt was abandoned.
The jet was redirected to Alicante-Elche Airport in southern Spain, roughly 910 miles from where passengers had expected to arrive. The aircraft had been flying at about 27,000ft before starting its descent near Bristol.
Holding pattern and climb back
It was reportedly held in a circling pattern while still above 20,000ft. It then climbed back to cruising height and turned southwards as air traffic controllers considered alternative airports, according to Airlive.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft performing a U-turn before the decision was made to reroute to Spain. The jet eventually touched down safely on Runway 10 at Alicante at roughly 2.15am local time on Sunday morning, nearly three hours after leaving Dublin.
Earlier problems and other diversions
The Mirror reports that the same aircraft is believed to have encountered problems earlier that day. It allegedly flew from Alicante to Newquay on Saturday, but was unable to land in Cornwall and diverted to Dublin instead.
Following its arrival in Ireland, the aircraft then set course for Bristol before being forced to change direction. The Mirror has approached Ryanair for a statement.
Flight FR2955 was not the only service rerouted over the weekend. A separate Ryanair aircraft bound for Edinburgh was also compelled to divert over water due to strong winds.
Flight FR7644 had been travelling from Faro in Portugal to Scotland's capital but could not land because of adverse weather. The plane was instead redirected to Oslo in Norway, approximately 600 miles from Edinburgh.
