Turkish Airlines Flight to Vancouver Diverts to Vienna Following Mid-Air Emergency
VIENNA – A Turkish Airlines flight bound for Western Canada was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Austria on Thursday afternoon after the crew declared a formal emergency while transiting European airspace.
Flight TK75, a Boeing 777-300ER, was en route from Istanbul (IST) to Vancouver (YVR) when the incident occurred. After a slightly delayed departure at 16:00 TRT, the aircraft was approximately two hours into its 12-hour journey, cruising at 30,000 feet over Hungary, when the flight crew transmitted a Squawk 7700—the international code for a general emergency.
Incident Timeline
According to flight tracking data and Air Traffic Control (ATC) communications:
- 16:00 TRT: Departure from Istanbul International Airport.
- 15:45 CET: While over Hungary, the crew contacted regional ATC to declare an emergency.
- 16:00 CET: The aircraft (registration TC-LJJ) began a rapid descent and turned toward Vienna International Airport (VIE).
Current Status
The aircraft is currently on its approach to Vienna due to a medical emergency. Local emergency services in Vienna are reportedly on standby as per standard protocol for an emergency diversion.
The Boeing 777-300ER is a long-haul workhorse capable of carrying over 300 passengers. A diversion of this scale usually involves significant logistical coordination. The aircraft needed to dump to reach a safe landing weight.
UPDATE 16:23 CET
On final approach to runway 16.
UPDATE 16:28 CET
Touch down, 2 hours and 30 minutes after takeoff.
UPDATE 16:34 CET
Parked at remote stand of the airport.
UPDATE 18:14 CET
The flight is resuming to Vancouver.
