On Tuesday, May 23, 2023, a Turkish Airlines Airbus A321neo flying from Istanbul to London was forced to divert to Birmingham Airport due to low fuel. The aircraft, which was carrying 122 passengers and crew, had been in holding for a period of time due to heavy air traffic at London Gatwick Airport.
When it finally received clearance to land, the aircraft was unable to reach the runway and was forced to divert to Birmingham, which is located about 98 nautical miles (181 kilometers) north of Gatwick.
The aircraft landed safely at Birmingham Airport at around 4:45 pm local time. There were no injuries reported. In a statement, Turkish Airlines said that the aircraft had reached its minimum diversion levels and was forced to divert to Birmingham due to the heavy taxiway traffic at Gatwick. The airline apologized for any inconvenience caused to passengers. The incident is being investigated by the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).
This incident is a reminder that even the most experienced airlines can be affected by unexpected events, such as heavy air traffic. The AAIB is investigating the incident and will likely make recommendations to Turkish Airlines and other airlines on how to prevent future incidents.