MANCHESTER, UK — Passengers aboard an easyJet flight from Amsterdam experienced a brief period of tension today after the flight crew declared an emergency while on approach to Manchester Airport.
The aircraft, operating as easyJet flight U22164, was an Airbus A320-200 flying its scheduled short-haul route from Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) to Manchester (MAN).
Circling North of Manchester
Roughly an hour after taking off from Amsterdam, as the flight prepared for its descent into Manchester, the flight crew officially declared an emergency. Aviation tracking data indicated that the twin-engine aircraft began circling in a holding pattern to the north of the airport shortly before issuing the alert.
Such alerts (typically broadcast via a transponder squawk code of 7700) immediately prioritize the aircraft for air traffic control, clearing a direct path to the runway and alerting local emergency services to stand by on the ground.
Safe Landing on Runway 05R
Despite the mid-air alert, the crew managed the situation swiftly. The Airbus A320-200 was routed directly onto the approach path and safely touched down on Runway 05R at Manchester Airport without further incident.
