28 August 2025 , 09:29
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The Spain-bound flight had been traveling for just 30 minutes when the pilot turned the plane around.
It departed from Manchester Airport shortly after 6pm and had traveled south of Birmingham before reaching the English Channel, its flight path shows.
The airline has since apologized for the disruption, which it said was due to a passenger welfare issue on board.
"We’re very sorry that your flight has now been diverted to London Gatwick airport," it said in an update.
"This is due to a passenger welfare issue.
"The disruption to your flight is outside of our control and is considered to be an extraordinary circumstance."
Earlier this week, a Boeing 777 flight suffered "engine failure" mid-air and was forced to make an emergency landing in Siberia.
The Air China jet, carrying 267 passengers and crew to Beijing from Heathrow, diverted to Nizhnevartovsk in Russia’s Khanty-Mansi region.
The flight reportedly suffered the ’engine failure’ over Russian airspace.
In March, an easyJet plane was forced to make an emergency landing after a dispute between two families allegedly became physical and abusive.
The pilot of the flight from Lanzarote to Gatwick Airport was forced to land the plane at Porto Airport in Portugal, where the two families were thrown off and greeted by police.
Deputy Editor