Jet2 flight 'declares emergency' en route to Spain and forced into UK U-turn

A Jet2 flight that departed from Liverpool John Lennon Airport en route to Palma de Mallorca Airport has declared an emergency shortly after taking off, forcing it to land at another UK airport

Simon Hamalienko Publishing Lead and Lee Grimsditch

09:41, 06 Aug 2026Updated 10:10, 06 Aug 2026

A Jet2 flight has been forced to head to a UK airport after declaring an emergency (stock)(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

A Jet2 flight heading departing from the UK to Spain has reportedly declared an emergency just moments after taking off.

According to the real-time aviation alert service Squawk, the flight from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Palma de Mallorca Airport sent an alert that is now expected to see it land at another UK airport.

Squawk posted on X that the Boeing 737-800 has issued a 7700 call, which is for a general emergency alert. According to a passenger onboard, there was a "sudden vibration and more noise" as the captain informed passengers of an issue.

The alert was made at 12,875ft on its correct flight path, reports the Manchester Evening News, after the flight set off at 8am today (August 6).

[Liverpool John Lennon Airport]

The flight took off from Liverpool John Lennon Airport (file)(Image: Getty Images)

According to the Flightradar24 website, the flight then changed direction near Shrewsbury and looked to be heading back towards Liverpool. However it now appears the aircraft may be looking to land at Manchester Airport.

In the post on X, Squawk wrote: "A Boeing 737-800 (EXS32DW) is squawking 7700 declaring an emergency at 12,875 ft near Manchester, UK."

There have been no official details on the emergency but the Jet2 flight is now believed to have landed safely at Manchester Airport.

[Jet2 airport ]

Flight map for the Jet2 flight as its forced to land at Manchester Airport (Image: SQUAWK)

One passenger onboard the Jet2 flight has confirmed the flight landed safely at Manchester Airport this morning in a conversation with the Liverpool Echo.

They said: "As soon as the plane took off there was a sudden vibration and more noise, but nothing that alarmed passengers.

"Around 15 minutes into the flight the captain said there was an issue. Everyone remained calm and the stewards were professional. The captain reassured everyone.

Article continues below

"The plane landed safely at Manchester airport and we are expecting to get on another flight to resume our journey around 11.25am."

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

[Dailystar Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Star as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.

[Google Preferred Source Badge]

At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.