Ryanair flight declares mid-air emergency over UK airspace

It's was the most-tracked flight in the world

The Ryanair 737-800 with the registration EI-EMD turned around over the North Sea off the coast of the north east of England after squawking 7700, meaning to declare a mid-air emergency.

The plane was undertaking a flight from Manchester to Oslo, but only made it around a third into the flight before making the U-turn.

The plane has since landed back at Manchester Airport where it was met with two fire engines.

A YouTube live stream showed the plane landing back in Manchester where it left the runway before coming to a stop on the taxiway to be met by emergency vehicles.

It is fairly common for planes to squawk 7700, with it happening multiple times around the world each day.

It is not known yet the reason for declaring a mid-air emergency, although these kind of incident are fairly common and could be anything from a technical issue to a sick passenger.

The plane is currently the most tracked in the world on Flightradar24.

You can follow it here or watch it live below:

Ryanair operates more than 3,600 daily flights, between 224 airports and across 36 countries.

Around 207 million passengers fly with Europe's largest airline annually across a fleet of more than 640 aircraft.

These flights operate from 95 bases.

The airline retains its impeccable 100% safety record.

What is the protocol when an aircraft squawks 7700?

When an aircraft squawks 7700, it is indicating a general emergency and requesting immediate priority.

The pilots set the transponder to 7700, declare the emergency if able, and follow onboard emergency procedures while stating their intentions (such as diverting or landing as soon as possible).

Air traffic control responds by giving the aircraft absolute priority, establishing communication, providing vectors and clearances, and clearing other traffic out of the way. They also alert the destination airport and emergency services.

At the airport, fire and medical crews prepare for the aircraft’s arrival, and the runway is typically kept clear.

The code itself does not specify the problem; it simply signals that the aircraft is in distress and requires urgent assistance.