Thousands of passengers are still facing disruption after all flights were suspended at Birmingham Airport on Wednesday due to an “aircraft incident”.
A light aircraft was forced to do an emergency landing at the airport while en route to Belfast International Airport when developed landing gear problems.
Although the airport has reopened its runway and resumed operations, weary passengers are struggling to reach their holiday destinations or to return home as further flights on Thursday are grounded or heavily delayed.
Woodgate Aviation, the owner of the plane, said “The aircraft returned to Birmingham and made an emergency landing and the main under-carriage collapsed on touch down.”
The airport has asked that all passengers check flight details with their airlines and follow advice issued by them.
Police have confirmed one person was left with minor injuries following the incident.
Pictures on social media appear to show a small propeller plane on the runway, with emergency services in attendance.
Key Points
- Thousands of passengers still disrupted by Birmingham airport closure
- A look at Birmingham's departure board on Thursday
- One person injured after plane makes emergency landing
- All flights held and runway temporarily closed at Birmingham Airport
- Flights diverted and one turned back
UK flight delays: What rights do you have to compensation for cancelled flights?
11:10 , Athena Stavrou
UK flight delays: What rights do you have over cancelled flights?
Who are Woodgate Aviation?
10:35 , Athena StavrouThe plane which crashed on the runway is Woodgate Aviation, self-described as a leading provider of corporate, business, private and general aviation services in Northern Ireland since 1969.
The plane was preparing to return to its home base in Belfast when things went wrong.
“The aircraft remains on the runway and Woodgate Aviation will be co-operating fully with Air Accident investigators and airport services.
“We would like to pay tribute to the professionalism of our colleagues and the emergency services at the airport for their prompt action,” Woodgate Aviation said in a statement.
Passengers still stuck in Birmingham
10:09 , Athena StavrouOn Thursday morning, passengers are still taking to social media to complain about the delays and cancellations.
Mike Dove wrote on X: “I should be sat on a beach in Turkey, but instead I’m sat in the Bullring still on hold to you.”
He said: “Shame on you. The incident clearly not your fault, but dealt with horrendously.”
How big is Birmingham Airport?
09:53 , Athena StavrouAccording to its website, Birmingham Airport is the seventh-largest airport in the UK and the third largest outside London, handling approximately 11.5 million passengers in 2023.
By 2033, it hopes to increase this figure by 50 per cent to reach 18 million.
Home to around 30 airlines, it offers over 130 direct routes and over 450 one-stop destinations from its one terminal.
What happened?
09:30 , Athena StavrouThousands of passengers faced travel delays and disruption after all flights were suspended from Birmingham Airport due to an “aircraft incident”.
It is believed that the aircraft involved was a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air twin turboprop light aircraft, which belonged to Woodgate Aviation, self-described as a leading provider of corporate, business, private and general aviation services in Northern Ireland since 1969.
The flight, which is believed to have been heading to its home base of George Best Belfast City, took off at 1.16pm according to data on FlightRadar24. It climbed to 5,750 feet and almost immediately entered a holding pattern.
At 1.35pm the aircraft overflew the runway at just 300 feet, but it remains unclear if the pilot was attempting to land or enabling air traffic controllers to inspect the undercarriage. FlightRadar data shows the aircraft made contact with the ground at 1.57pm.
A look at Birmingham's departure board
09:16 , Athena StavrouDespite Birmingham Airport having reopened its runways, there are still a number of delays this morning.
One flight to Amsterdam has been cancelled because the aircraft and crew could not reach Birmingham on Wednesday.
14 flights have been either delayed or are estimated be delayed by 45 minutes or more.
29 flights have either been or are set to be minorly delayed.
Poll: Would you rather be disrupted inbound or outbound?
08:48 , Athena StavrouOur Travel Correspondent Simon Calder has launched a poll on X to see whether passengers would prefer to be disrupted on their outbound or inbound journey.
So far, the majority of the 526 voters have said they’d before their journey home to be affected rather than their flight outbound.
Poll: if you face serious disruption, would you rather it happened flying out or coming home?
— Simon Calder (@SimonCalder) August 7, 2025
Outbound, are you more tolerant – or desperate to get there?
Inbound, are you feeling chilled after your holiday – or just want to get home without fuss?
"If I am going to be delayed..."
Latest update from Birmingham Airport
08:25 , Athena StavrouThe last update we received from Birmingham Airport was just before 8pm last night.
“Following the aircraft incident today, the runway has reopened and operations have resumed,” it said.
It apologised for the disruption caused by the incident and said passengers must check flight details and follow advice issued by their airlines.
The airport added: “Our teams have worked as quickly as possible, in line with strict protocols, which must be followed to ensure a safe reopening of the runway following a prolonged closure.”
BHX Update 4 - Runway Reopened pic.twitter.com/5P1KbKoVSR
— Birmingham Airport (@bhx_official) August 6, 2025
Watch: Small aircraft seen on runway
07:58 , Athena StavrouThousands of passengers still disrupted by Birmingham airport closure
07:28 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s Travel Correspondent Simon Calder reports:
Ten hours after Birmingham airport reopened, weary passengers are struggling to reach their holiday destinations or to return home.
After dozens of diversions and cancellations on Wednesday, further flights on Thursday are grounded or heavily delayed.
The 6am KLM flight to Amsterdam was cancelled because the aircraft and crew could not reach Birmingham on Wednesday. Many departures are delayed as a result of the runway closures, which saw planes diverted as far away as Liverpool, Cardiff and Gatwick.
The Wednesday evening Emirates arrival from Dubai, using the biggest aircraft serving Birmingham, landed in Stansted initially before flying on to the West Midlands airport. The return leg took off at midnight, over two hours late, inevitably resulting in missed connections for many passengers who were planning to connect in Dubai for Asian and Australasian destinations.
Jet2 passengers heading for the Greek island of Zante on Wednesday will arrive three hours late, with a two-hour delay facing holidaymakers with the airline heading for Menorca.
Travellers returning to Birmingham faced some extreme delays overnight. Ryanair passengers from Dublin and Malta were four hours late, while a Tui plane from Palma was five hours behind schedule.
Under air passengers’ rights rules, no compensation is payable because the cause was beyond the airlines’ control.
What is the Beechcraft B200 Super King Air?
07:00 , Daniel KeaneThe Beechcraft B200 Super King Air can carry nine passengers and is used in various roles, including as an air ambulance, and for special missions.
It first entered production in 1981 and followed its predecessor the Model 101, which was designed in 1969.
Beechcraft is an American aviation manufacturer headquarted in Wichita, Arkansas.
How big is Birmingham airport?
06:00 , Daniel KeaneAccording to its website, Birmingham Airport is the seventh-largest airport in the UK and the third largest outside London, handling approximately 11.5 million passengers in 2023.
By 2033, it hopes to increase this figure by 50 per cent to reach 18 million.
Home to around 30 airlines, it offers over 130 direct routes and over 450 one-stop destinations from its one terminal.
Aircraft was also involved in crash at Southend
05:00 , Daniel KeaneA Beechcraft B200 Super King Air was also involved in a plane crash at London Southend Airport in July, which killed four people on board.
Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands, confirmed its SUZ1 flight had been “involved in an accident”.
The plane had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend. It was scheduled to return to Lelystad on Sunday night.
Zeusch Aviation’s website says the plane can be used for medical flights to transport patients or organs. It has also been deployed for aerial mapping flights.
Recap: How the incident at Birmingham Airport unfolded
04:00 , Daniel KeaneBirmingham Airport first said at around 2.40pm that its runway was temporarily closed following the incident.
It later suggested flights would remain grounded until at least 8pm.
In an update posted on X shortly before 8pm on Wednesday evening, the airport said: "Following the aircraft incident today, the runway has reopened and operations have resumed."
It apologised for the disruption caused by the incident and said passengers must check flight details and follow advice issued by their airlines.
Air Accidents Investigations Branch investigating Birmingham Airport incident
03:00 , Bryony GoochThe Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) has said it has started an investigation into the incident, with “a multi-disciplinary team including inspectors with expertise in aircraft operations, engineering and recorded data” deployed to Birmingham Airport.
Woodgate Aviation has said it will cooperate with Air Accident Investigators and airport services.
Watch: The small aircraft which made an emergency landing as Birmingham Airport closed for six hours
02:00 , Bryony GoochThousands face travel chaos after emergency landing shuts runway at Birmingham airport
01:00 , Bryony Gooch
Thousands stranded after emergency landing shuts runway at Birmingham airport
How do I qualify for a cash payout if my flight was cancelled?
Thursday 7 August 2025 00:00 , Bryony GoochIf you are flying from a UK/EU airport or on a British/ European airline and have your flight cancelled – or are delayed in arrival by at least three hours – the presumption is that you are owed hundreds of pounds in compensation.
The payment depends on distance:
- Under 1,500km, for example London to Barcelona: £220 or €250
- 1,500-3,500km, such as Manchester-Lisbon: £350 or €400
- Above 3,500km, eg Birmingham-Dubai: £520 or €600. If a long-haul arrival delay is between three and four hours, the compensation is halved.
The only way the airline can avoid paying out is by demonstrating “extraordinary circumstances” were responsible.
All you need to know about how a 41-minute flight suspended all services at Birmingham Airport for six hours
Wednesday 6 August 2025 23:00 , Bryony Gooch
How a 41-minute flight closed one of the UK’s busiest airports
In the UK and Europe, what can I expect if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
Wednesday 6 August 2025 22:30 , Simon Calder, Travel CorrespondentFor delays of under two hours you have no rights (unless a short delay in the UK triggers a missed connection and much later arrival at your final ticketed destination – see below).
For longer delays, the airline should provide refreshments as appropriate after a specified length of time. This applies regardless of the cause of the delay.
The time at which the duty of care kicks in depends on the distance you are flying:
- Short flights (up to 1,500km): refreshments after two hours.
- Mid-haul journeys (1,500 to 3,500km): three hours.
- Longer trips: four hours.
Note that if the airline believes providing the care would further delay the flight, it need not deliver.
If the delay extends overnight, the airline is obliged to find and pay for a hotel room. In practice, carriers often say, “too difficult”, and invite the passenger to book their own and reclaim later.
While this practice does not comply fully with the rules, aviation authorities tend to turn a blind eye to it.
People from Europe trying to return to Birmingham
Wednesday 6 August 2025 22:00 , Bryony GoochMany people in Europe trying to fly back to Birmingham were still facing lengthy delays after its reopening.
Diana Celella, an interior designer from Sutton Coldfield, was due to return from Lisbon on a Ryanair flight departing at 8.20pm after a week-long holiday in the Portuguese city with her husband Luigi, but saw online that the flight will now take off at 11.05pm.
The 60-year-old, who also works as a lecturer at Arts University Bournemouth, told the PA news agency: “My husband and I have had a lovely holiday, so it’s a real shame to end it with this delay. That said, if we do manage to take off tonight, we’ll count ourselves lucky under the circumstances.
“The atmosphere among fellow passengers is mostly resigned — everyone we’ve spoken to recognises that it’s out of Ryanair’s control.
“However, there’s been a lack of clear communication. We’ve had no updates from Ryanair since 6.20pm, and there have been no announcements at Lisbon Airport, which is frustrating.
“Fingers crossed we fly tonight.”
AAIB to investigate incident
Wednesday 6 August 2025 21:38 , Bryony GoochThe Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) has said it has started an investigation into the incident, with “a multi-disciplinary team including inspectors with expertise in aircraft operations, engineering and recorded data” deployed to Birmingham Airport.
Woodgate Aviation has said it will cooperate with Air Accident Investigators and airport services.
Everything that has happened so far
Wednesday 6 August 2025 21:17 , Bryony Gooch- A light aircraft was on a flight to Belfast International Airport when it developed landing gear problems.
- The aircraft returned to Birmingham and made an emergency landing and the main under-carriage collapsed on touch down.
- One person suffered minor injuries, according to the police.
- Two crew members and a passenger were on board but uninjured.
- Flights were cancelled and diverted from 2pm til 8pm.
- A number of people have found themselves stranded in the midst of the chaos.
Recap: Free pint of beer offered to stranded passengers
Wednesday 6 August 2025 21:00 , Bryony GoochConsumer group the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) offered stranded passengers a free pint if they showed their boarding pass at the Great British Beer Festival, which was taking place in the nearby National Exhibition Centre.
Passengers have been told to check the status of their flight before coming to the airport, with both check-in and security also temporarily shut.
Watch: Small aircraft seen on runway
Wednesday 6 August 2025 20:15 , Bryony GoochRecap pictures: The light aircraft on the runway
Wednesday 6 August 2025 20:12 , Bryony Gooch
Runway reopens and operations resume
Wednesday 6 August 2025 19:58 , Bryony GoochBirmingham Airport has reported that its runway has reopened and all operation have resumed.
“Following the aircraft incident today, the runway has reopened and operations have resumed.
“All passengers must check flight details with their airlines and follow advice issued by them. We understand the frustration and apologise for the disruption this has caused.
“Our teams have worked as quickly as possible, in line with strict protocols, which must be followed to ensure a safe reopening of the runway following a prolonged closure.”
Who are Woodgate Aviation?
Wednesday 6 August 2025 19:45 , Bryony GoochThe plane which crashed on the runway is Woodgate Aviation, self-described as a leading provider of corporate, business, private and general aviation services in Northern Ireland since 1969.
The plane was preparing to return to its home base in Belfast when things went wrong.
“The aircraft remains on the runway and Woodgate Aviation will be co-operating fully with Air Accident investigators and airport services.
“We would like to pay tribute to the professionalism of our colleagues and the emergency services at the airport for their prompt action,” Woodgate Aviation said in a statement.
UK flight delays: What rights do you have to compensation for cancelled flights?
Wednesday 6 August 2025 19:33 , Bryony GoochUK flight delays: What rights do you have over cancelled flights?
