A Lufthansa flight had to conduct an emergency landing following the crew’s declaration of an issue shortly after departure. The flight, identified as LH2249 and en route from Lyon to Munich, halted its ascent at 5,400 feet and started circling near Lyon Airport due to a “gear issue” as indicated by a “Squawk 7700” transmission – the universal emergency code. Subsequently, the aircraft ascended to 10,000 feet, traversed Swiss airspace, circled near Lausanne, and eventually diverted to Geneva, according to flight-tracking data. The plane, initially scheduled to depart Lyon at 1.51pm CET but taking off almost an hour later, landed on runway 22 at Geneva Airport by 3.39pm, missing its original Munich landing time of 4.04pm.
Emergency response vehicles were on standby at Geneva Airport in anticipation of the plane’s arrival, as reported by AirLive. The aircraft was later towed off the runway just before 4pm and moved to a remote stand, per AirLive. Lufthansa has been contacted for their input on the matter.
This incident follows a recent occurrence involving an Air India flight from Amritsar in India’s Punjab state, which also transmitted a “Squawk 7700” alert while approaching Birmingham Airport earlier this month. Adverse weather conditions, specifically heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures from Storm Goretti, had significantly reduced visibility to below the required 500 meters for a safe landing.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was redirected near Leamington Spa, altering its course towards London due to a “Minimum Fuel” crisis that depleted reserves beyond safe levels for another circuit, as per AirLive. The emergency status granted the aircraft priority handling from Air Traffic Control (ATC).
The flight was rerouted to London Heathrow Airport, known for its longer runways and Category III Instrument Landing Systems that enhance safety margins. The airliner successfully landed in London.