An emergency landing was necessitated by a Lufthansa flight following the crew’s declaration of a problem shortly after take-off. The flight, identified as LH2249, was en route from Lyon to Munich but had to halt its ascent at 5,400 feet and commence circling near Lyon Airport. The crew activated a “Squawk 7700” emergency code, indicating a “gear issue,” as reported by AirLive. Subsequently, the aircraft ascended to 10,000 feet, entered Swiss airspace, circled near Lausanne, and then redirected to Geneva, according to flight-tracking data. Departing Lyon at 1.51pm CET, almost an hour behind schedule, the jet landed on runway 22 at Geneva Airport by 3.39pm, missing its scheduled Munich arrival time of 4.04pm.
Emergency services were on standby at Geneva Airport in anticipation of the plane’s arrival, as confirmed by AirLive. The aircraft was later towed off the runway just prior to 4pm and relocated to a remote stand, as per AirLive. Lufthansa has been contacted for a statement by the Mirror.
This incident follows a recent occurrence involving an Air India flight from Amritsar in India’s Punjab state that declared a “Squawk 7700” approaching Birmingham Airport. Adverse weather conditions, including heavy snowfall and reduced visibility due to Storm Goretti, led to challenges during the landing process.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner made a diversion near Leamington Spa, altering its course towards London due to a “Minimum Fuel” situation causing fuel reserves to deplete beyond safe levels for continued holding, as per AirLive. The emergency status granted the flight priority handling by Air Traffic Control (ATC).
The flight’s route was redirected to London Heathrow Airport, known for its longer runways and Category III Instrument Landing Systems, ensuring a higher safety standard. The airliner successfully landed in London.