easyJet flight declares emergency after take off from Liverpool airport
An easyJet flight departing from Liverpool declared an emergency due to a bird strike not long after take off. The easyJet aircraft, bearing the flight number EZY18KP, left Liverpool John Lennon Airport for Bodrum, Turkey, at 4:25pm on Wednesday.
However, not long after departure, Flightradar24 reported the flight as "squawking 7700 shortly after take off from Liverpool" - 'squawking 7700' being the standard distress code aircraft use to indicate an emergency situation to air traffic control.
The aircraft made its way back to Liverpool at around 5pm following approximately 30 minutes of circling over Cheshire. A spokesperson for easyJet told the ECHO: "Our flight from Liverpool to Bodrum this evening has been delayed due to experiencing a bird strike shortly after take-off.
"The pilot returned to Liverpool in line with our procedures and performed a routine landing where it will be inspected by engineers.
"The safety of its passengers and crew is easyJet's highest priority and easyJet operates its fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with all manufacturers' guidelines."
The airport informed the ECHO the plane landed without complications and the reason for return was operational. It is understood by the ECHO all passengers disembarked from the plane safely.
Royal Air Force guidance says the 7700 is transmitted when there is a "general emergency" which could mean any kind of issue.
According to Flightradar24, the plane, an Airbus A320-214, is 11 years old.
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