BRUSSELS – A Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) flight en route from London to Zurich was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Belgium on Monday evening after the crew declared an aerial emergency.
Incident Timeline
Flight LX325, operated by an Airbus A320neo (registration HB-JDH), departed London Heathrow Airport (LHR) at 17:19 BST, slightly behind its scheduled departure. The aircraft performed a standard climb, reaching a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet as it crossed the English Channel.
The flight proceeded normally until it reached Belgian airspace. At this point, the flight crew contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) and transmitted a Squawk 7700 code—the international signal for a general emergency.
Rapid Descent and Diversion
Upon declaring the emergency, the aircraft abandoned its course to Zurich. Flight tracking data shows the A320neo performing a sharp turn over central Belgium before being vectored toward Brussels Airport (BRU).
The aircraft initiated a rapid descent to comply with emergency landing protocols. Local emergency services at Brussels Airport were reportedly placed on standby as a standard precaution, a common procedure when a “7700” code is active.
Current Status
The aircraft landed on runway 07L in Brussels shortly after the diversion began, at 19:26 local time then was met by firetrucks on the taxiway. The specific nature of the technical failure or medical situation remains unknown.
UPDATE #1 19:45L
Operations were suspended following the emergency landing. Heavy traffic is now resuming on runway 01.
UPDATE #2 19:55L
The A320neo is still stuck on taxiway, 30 minutes after landing.
UPDATE #3
The reason was an indication of possible fire in cabin according to The Aviation Herald.
