A Lufthansa aircraft declared an emergency over London shortly after departing from Heathrow Airport today. The flight, LH2473, operated by an Airbus A320neo en route to Munich, Germany, took off at 11:36am but promptly turned back towards the airport after departure.
The flight crew signaled a general emergency by transmitting a Squawk 7700 code when the aircraft was at an altitude of around 14,000 feet. Lufthansa later stated that the flight had to return to Heathrow due to technical issues.
According to aviation news network AIRLIVE, it took over thirty minutes for the plane to land back at the airport. Upon landing, the aircraft was guided to a remote stand by ground crews.
A spokesperson mentioned that the aircraft landed safely and all passengers are receiving assistance from ground staff. The specific technical problem that led to the return of the flight is yet to be officially confirmed. The plane touched down at Heathrow at 12:07pm, and passengers are currently being rebooked.
In a similar incident last week, an Air India flight had to divert after pilots declared an emergency. Flight AI117 from Amritsar in India’s Punjab state issued a “Squawk 7700” as it approached Birmingham Airport on January 10 due to heavy snowfall and freezing conditions affecting visibility.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner diverted near Leamington Spa and redirected to Heathrow due to a “Minimum Fuel” situation caused by depleted reserves. The plane landed safely in London with the assistance of Air Traffic Control.
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