An easyJet flight from London Gatwick to Barcelona declared an emergency and diverted back to London Gatwick on Friday morning. Flight U28059 took off from Gatwick at 10:00 AM BST and was scheduled to arrive in Barcelona at 11:35 AM CET. However, just 20 minutes into the flight, the crew declared an emergency and turned the plane around.
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The Airbus A319 (registration G-EZBH) landed safely back at Gatwick at 10:45 AM BST. There were no reported injuries. easyJet said in a statement that the flight was diverted due to a "technical issue." The airline said it is investigating the cause of the issue. This is the second time in a week that an easyJet flight has declared an emergency.
On July 28, flight U26427 from London Gatwick to Dubrovnik, Croatia, also declared an emergency and diverted back to Gatwick. In that incident, the crew reported hydraulic problems. The plane landed safely back at Gatwick and no one was injured.
easyJet is a low-cost airline based in London. It is the largest airline in Europe by number of passengers carried. The airline has been criticized in recent years for a number of incidents, including flight cancellations, delays, and technical problems. In 2022, easyJet was fined £14 million by the UK Civil Aviation Authority for failing to meet safety standards. The airline has said that it is working to improve its safety record.