MANCHESTER, UK — A Jet2 Boeing 737-800, registration G-JZBI, declared a mid-air emergency this afternoon while returning to Manchester Airport (MAN) following its first flight in nearly two months.
The aircraft, operating under the callsign EXS034F, departed Manchester at 14:13 GMT for a scheduled test flight. The mission was designed to verify the aircraft’s systems after an extended period of maintenance.
Flight Profile and Emergency Declaration
Data from flight tracking services showed the aircraft performing a complex flight profile over the North Sea. After an initial climb to 37,000 feet (FL370), the 737 descended to 15,000 feet, where it conducted a series of holding patterns and maneuvers for approximately two hours.
The situation changed as the aircraft began its return leg to Manchester. After climbing back to 25,000 feet (FL250), the flight crew transmitted a Squawk 7700—the international code for a general emergency. Following the declaration, the aircraft was given priority routing by Air Traffic Control and is expected to touch down in Manchester at approximately 5:10 PM GMT.
A History of Technical Issues
Today’s emergency comes after the aircraft had been out of service for 50 days. Its last commercial operation was on January 26, 2026, flying from Prague (PRG) to Manchester.
That flight, LS888, was plagued by technical difficulties before it even left the ground:
- Delayed Departure: The flight departed Prague over two and a half hours late.
- Late Arrival: It eventually landed in Manchester at 23:24 GMT, nearly three hours behind schedule.
- Subsequent Grounding: Following that landing, G-JZBI was removed from the active rotation and remained in a hangar at Jet2’s Manchester maintenance base until today.
Updates
17:11 GMT
The aircraft landed safely on runway 23R, 2 hours and 30 minutes after takeoff.
