The Geneva-bound flight was travelling over England when the crew transmitted a Squawk 7700 code, signalling a general emergency
11:35, 21 May 2026Updated 11:46, 21 May 2026
(Image: Pavel1964 via Getty Images)
An Aer Lingus flight was forced to suddenly divert to London this morning after the crew declared an emergency while cruising at 37,000 feet.
Flight EI680 departed Dublin Airport shortly before 6:30 am on Thursday, heading towards Generva International Airport. The plane was over southern England when the crew transmitted a Squawk 7700 code, indicating a general emergency aboard the aircraft.
Thankfully, the Airbus A320neo touched down safely at London Gatwick at 7.25 am, according to flight-tracking data. Aviation outlet AirLive, citing fleet records, reported that the twin-engine aircraft is less than a year old and was delivered to the airline only recently.
The cause of the emergency has yet to be established. Aer Lingus has been contacted for further comment on the situation.
(Image: AirNav Radar)
Aer Lingus now operates over 100 routes from its primary hub at Dublin Airport, encompassing direct services to major cities throughout Europe and North America.
The aircraft involved in this incident is an Airbus A320neo, the latest addition to its short-haul fleet. Aer Lingus has stated that the new plane delivers up to 20 per cent fuel savings and CO2 reductions compared with previous-generation Airbus aircraft.
More to follow.