A Ryanair flight heading to Portugal was forced to declare a mid-air emergency and land within the UK borders shortly after taking off from London Stansted Airport. Flight FR5552 took off at 6.21am on Sunday for Faro and had reached cruising altitude of 37,000 feet when the crew discovered a technical issue.
The Boeing 737-800 was passing over Brittany, France, when the pilots transmitted a Squawk 7700 – the international signal for a general emergency – and began rapidly descending. Rather than returning to Stansted just 45 minutes after takeoff, the flight diverted to Bournemouth Airport.
The aircraft performed a sharp turn back toward the English coast and descended quickly to ensure a safe landing, flight tracking data showed.
Air Live reports, citing an unnamed source, that the diversion was due to a medical emergency, and the flight made the onward journey to Portugal.
It indicates the aircraft requires priority handling, special attention, or assistance, such as for an emergency landing, due to issues like engine failure, medical emergencies, or technical faults.
A 7700 code is often used as a precautionary measure to ensure emergency services are ready upon landing, even if the situation is not immediately life-threatening.
Ryanair has been approached for comment.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
