MANCHESTER – A Jet2 flight arriving from the Canary Islands was forced to declare an emergency on Tuesday evening after one of its pilots became incapacitated during the final approach to Manchester Airport.
Incident Overview
Flight LS980, operated by an Airbus A321 (registration G-SUNU), departed Lanzarote (ACE) at 15:45 WET. The flight proceeded normally across the Atlantic and toward the UK until approximately 25 minutes before its scheduled arrival.
While descending toward Manchester, the flight crew transmitted a Squawk 7700—the international radio code for a general emergency. Air Traffic Control (ATC) was notified that one of the pilots was unable to continue their duties due to a sudden medical issue.
The Landing
Despite the reduced cockpit crew, the aircraft continued its approach under priority handling from ATC. The Airbus A321 landed safely on Runway 05L at 20:14 GMT, roughly four and a half hours after takeoff.
Emergency services, including airport fire crews and paramedics, were on standby at the airfield as a precaution. The aircraft taxied to a stand where the affected pilot was reportedly met by medical professionals.
The airline has not yet provided a specific update on the pilot’s condition, though the landing was completed without further incident.
