LUTON- An easyJet (U2) flight from Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL) to Isle of Man Ronaldsway Airport (IOM) landed safely on 15 December 2025 but returned to its origin without allowing passengers to leave the aircraft. Extreme wind gusts prevented ground staff from safely positioning mobile stairs.
The incident on flight EZY517 marks a rare case where an aircraft touched down yet had to fly back due to ground-handling restrictions triggered by weather conditions.
easyJet Flight Returns Back to Liverpool
Flight EZY517 landed at Isle of Man Airport (IOM) at approximately 3:45 PM on Sunday, 15 December 2025.
Sustained high winds and gusts exceeded the operational limits set by ground handler Menzies Aviation, making it unsafe to deploy aircraft steps.
Passengers remained onboard for over an hour. Crew distributed water, and children were permitted to visit the cockpit.
Around 5:00 PM, the captain informed travellers that conditions would not improve and the aircraft would return to Liverpool (LPL). This was the only flight that day that landed successfully but could not disembark passengers, according to Isle of Man Airport.
Official Statements and Apologies
Reported by the Mirror, Isle of Man Airport issued the following statement to the Liverpool Echo: “Isle of Man Airport wishes to apologise to passengers affected by disruption yesterday.
Due to strong and gusting winds, aircraft steps could not be safely deployed on some flights in line with established safety limits operated by the airport’s ground handling provider, Menzies Aviation.
These limits are in place to protect passengers while boarding and disembarking. As a result, some services were cancelled or diverted, and in one case an aircraft landed safely but passengers were unable to disembark and the aircraft subsequently returned to its departure airport.”
An easyJet spokesperson stated: “Due to strong winds on the Isle of Man yesterday evening resulting in ground handling services being suspended, customers on flight EZY517 from Liverpool were unable to disembark and as the weather was not expected to improve, the flight returned to Liverpool and was cancelled.
The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority and we did all possible to minimise the impact of the weather for our customers, providing the option to rebook or receive a refund, as well as hotel accommodation and meals for those who required them. While this was outside of our control, we are very sorry for the inconvenience caused.”
Menzies Aviation added: “Safety is our top priority. Our teams follow strict safety protocols, including those related to weather, and do not carry out ground operations when it is not safe to do so. We understand the inconvenience this may cause and appreciate the patience of those affected.”
Why Mobile Stairs Were Blocked
Isle of Man Airport (IOM) uses mobile stairs instead of jet bridges. When gusts exceed manufacturer and regulatory wind limits, typically 35–40 knots depending on direction, handlers must suspend operations to prevent steps from shifting or toppling.
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