LONDON — An Aer Lingus flight bound for Switzerland was forced to make an unscheduled diversion to the United Kingdom this morning after the flight crew declared an inflight emergency while cruising over the South of England.
Flight EI680, which departed Dublin Airport (DUB) at 06:26 IST on its routine scheduled service to Geneva International Airport (GVA), was over South of England at its cruising altitude of 37,000 feet when the situation unfolded.
Incident Timeline
- 06:26 IST — Flight EI680 departs Dublin ahead of schedule.
- 07:15 BST — The aircraft reaches its assigned cruising altitude of 37,000 feet.
- Mid-Cruise — While positioned over the southern of England, the flight crew broadcasts a Squawk 7700 code, the internationally recognized transponder signal indicating a general onboard emergency.
- Descent — Air Traffic Control rapidly clears the aircraft out of its cruising altitude, routing the plane north toward the London airspace.
The flight immediately abandoned its route to Switzerland and initiated a swift descent toward London Gatwick Airport (LGW), which was selected as the diversion airfield.
Aircraft Details
The aircraft operating the flight is a next-generation Airbus A320neo, carrying the registration EI-NSG. According to aviation fleet records, the modern, fuel-efficient twin-jet is just under one year old, having been delivered directly to the Irish flag carrier recently.
The specific nature of the emergency (whether stemming from a mechanical issue, technical glitch, or an urgent passenger medical situation) has not yet been confirmed by the airline.
This is a developing story. Aer Lingus has been contacted for comment regarding the status of the passengers and the technical health of the aircraft.
UPDATE 07:25 BST
Touch down on runway 26L.
UPDATE 07:35 BST
The aircraft is parked on remote stand of the airport.
