An easyJet plane heading from Manchester to Alicante was forced to make an emergency diversion yesterday evening due to a passenger welfare issue on board.
The flight, which departed at 6 pm, transmitted an emergency code 30 minutes into the journey to indicate that there was an in-flight emergency. The plane was then rerouted to go to London Gatwick Airport.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft's path heading south over Birmingham and the southern coastline before circling back over the English Channel, with the plane making a safe landing at 7.55.
In an online update, easyJet has since apologized for the disruption, stating, “ We're very sorry that your flight has now been diverted to London Gatwick airport. This is due to a passenger welfare issue."
"The disruption to your flight is outside of our control and is considered to be an extraordinary circumstance."
A second flight was later arranged for 9pm to allow the rest of the passengers to continue on with their journey to Alicante.
