BANGOR, Maine — A Swiss International Air Lines flight en route from Zurich to New York City declared an emergency on Monday after experiencing an undisclosed issue off the coast of Maine, forcing the aircraft to divert to Bangor International Airport.
Flight LX16, operated by an Airbus A330-300 with registration HB-JHK, was on its standard transatlantic flight path from Zurich Airport (ZRH) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
Flight Profile & Altitude Changes
Flight tracking data indicates that the wide-body airliner was cruising comfortably at 38,000 feet (FL380) during its oceanic crossing. As the aircraft approached Canadian airspace over Nova Scotia, the flight crew initiated an initial descent down to 32,000 feet (FL320).
Shortly after crossing off the coast of Maine, the flight crew squawked an emergency signal (7700) and requested an immediate diversion to Bangor International Airport (BGR).
Strategic Diversion Location
Bangor International Airport is a frequent diversion point for transatlantic flights experiencing emergencies or unscheduled disruptions, owing to its long runways, low air traffic congestion, and dedicated U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities.
At this time, neither Swiss International Air Lines nor local aviation authorities have confirmed the specific nature of the emergency. No injuries have been reported, and emergency ground crews at Bangor were placed on standby to receive the arriving aircraft.
UPDATE
The Runway 33 at Bangor International Airport was closed until the aircraft has been removed.
Sources say, the flight was diverted to Bangor after the crew reported a fire in the cockpit.
