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Virgin Atlantic flight declares midair emergency over UK minutes after take off
Published 15:42 18 Sept 2026 BST
Updated 15:45 18 Sept 2026 BST
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The plane squawked 7700
A Virgin Altantic flight has declared a midair emergency over the UK minutes after taking off.
The A330 aircraft, registered G-VSXY, departed Manchester Airport at 15:10 with New York as its destination.
The flight did multiple loops in the Merseyside area, to the west of Manchester, before lining up to land.
The plane is currently the most tracked flight in the world with 16,000 people watching it on Flightradar24 at its peak.
The airbus plane squawked 7700 shortly after take off, the internationally recognised code for an emergency.
However, planes squawk often, and the issue can range from anything from a health emergency on board to a technical issue with the aircraft.
The code informs Air Traffic Control of an issue and gives the pilot priority in the airspace and clears the way for landing at an airport.
Current movement on Flightradar 24 shows other aircraft in the sky looping and clearing the way.
A livestream from Manchester Airport is showing operations currently.
This is a breaking news story, updates to follow.
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