A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Seattle was forced to make an emergency diversion to Edinburgh Airport on Sunday evening after declaring an inflight emergency over northern Scotland.
EDINBURGH — Flight DL21, operated by an Airbus A330-900neo (registration N422DZ), had departed London Heathrow (LHR) at 18:25 BST, roughly an hour and a half prior to the incident. The aircraft had reached its cruising altitude of 36,000 feet and was tracking north-northwest on its standard transatlantic route toward Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
Mid-Air U-Turn
According to flight tracking data, the aircraft was near the northernmost tip of the Scottish mainland when the flight crew initiated a sudden U-turn. Shortly after changing course, the crew transmitted a Squawk 7700 code, the international signal for a general inflight emergency.
The specific nature of the emergency has not yet been detailed by air traffic control or the airline.
Flight Profile & Status
| Flight Number | DL21 |
| Aircraft Type | Airbus A330-900neo (N422DZ) |
| Route | London Heathrow (LHR) to Seattle (SEA) |
| Departure Time | 18:25 BST |
| Diversion Airport | Edinburgh Airport (EDI) |
| Estimated Touchdown | Within the next 30 minutes |
Airline Response
Delta Air Lines has confirmed the diversion. According to our information, Delta is expecting the issue to be resolved relatively quickly, currently scheduling the flight to resume its journey to Seattle at 9:47 PM BST.
Emergency ground crews at Edinburgh Airport are on standby to meet the aircraft upon arrival, which is standard procedure for any flight landing under a declared emergency status.
UPDATE 20:24 BST
The flight DL21 has landed on runway 24.
UPDATE 20:50 BST
The aircraft is now parked.
