MANCHESTER- A British Airways (BA) flight made an emergency landing at Manchester Airport (MAN) today on September 27, following reports of smoke and fumes in the cockpit.
Flight BA1306, which departed London Heathrow (LHR) at 8:45 AM bound for Aberdeen (ABZ), altered its course over Northamptonshire before heading northwest.
British Airways Emergency Landing at Manchester
Flight tracker website Flightradar24 documented the plane’s diverted route. Several aviation accounts on social media platform X reported an emergency landing, citing smoke and fumes in the cockpit as the cause.
The flight was operated by Airbus A319 aircraft, registered as G-DBCG. Further, it is an 18.6-year-old aircraft and is powered by IAE engines.
British Airways has confirmed these claims and stated that a flight bound for Scotland made an unscheduled landing at Manchester Airport on Wednesday morning. The airline cited a suspected technical issue as the cause for the diversion.
A Manchester Airport spokesperson downplayed the severity of the incident, stating that the crew experienced a technical issue onboard.
The spokesperson explained that such situations are treated as emergencies regardless of severity as a precautionary measure, prompting the attendance of emergency services.
The airport’s fire service responded to the incident and has since given the all-clear. This swift response highlights the airport’s emergency protocols and the importance of prompt action in aviation safety.
Similar Incidents
In April 2024, a Lufthansa (LH) Airbus A350-900, registration D-AIVC, made an emergency landing at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) after crew members detected smoke in the aft galley. The aircraft, originally flying from Munich (MUC) to Montreal (YUL), diverted to Frankfurt as a precautionary measure.
The flight crew’s quick decision-making and adherence to emergency procedures ensured a safe landing at Frankfurt. However, the incident resulted in the cancellation of the scheduled flight to Montreal, disrupting travel plans for passengers.
In a similar incident, Virgin Atlantic (VS) Flight VS77 executed an emergency landing at Manchester Airport on Sunday, January 7. The flight, bound for Bridgetown, Barbados, returned to Manchester after only 20 minutes in the air due to reports of smoke in the cockpit.
Pilots reported detecting a “dense, acrid smoke” scent, prompting the immediate decision to turn back. The aircraft landed safely at 1:50 pm, where it was met by airport firefighters as a standard safety precaution.