An easyJet flight departing from the UK and heading to a popular holiday hotspot was forced to divert to London following a "welfare issue". Flight EZY3201 departed Edinburgh Airport at 3.35pm on Wednesday, March 22 bound for Tenerife South Airport.
The Airbus A320 was scheduled to touch down in the Canary Islands Airport at around 8.05pm, but was forced to divert to Gatwick Airport following the incident. Data from flight tracking app FlightRadar24 shows the aircraft traveling southwest at around 35,000ft over Brittany in northwest France. It then made a sudden turn to the northeast and proceeded toward Gatwick Airport, where it landed safely shortly after 5.30pm.
The budget carrier has said that the flight was diverted due to a "welfare issue" but no further details have been release by easyJet.
Despite the issue, it is understood the flight crew did not transmit a squawk 7700 code - the international code for a general emergency.
Squawk 7700 is a universal aviation transponder code set by pilots to indicate a general emergency to Air Traffic Control. It immediately signals distress on radar displays, allowing for priority handling, emergency service preparation, and cleared airspace.
It can be used for a range of concerns, including:
Updating passengers online, easyJet said: "We're very sorry that your flight has now been diverted. This is due to a welfare issue. The disruption to your flight is outside of our control and is considered to be an extraordinary circumstance.
"We plan to refuel and continue your flight as soon as possible. Your crew will keep you up to date."
Following the diversion, the flight is expected to leave London at around 9.45pm to continue on the way to Tenerife, where it is scheduled to arrive at around 2.30am.
