Jet2 flight: Plane declares emergency as pilot incapacitated on approach to Manchester Airport

The flight transmitted squawk 7700 emergency code after one of its pilots fell ill during the final stages of the journey. Flight LS980 issued the emergency signal approximately 25 minutes before its scheduled touchdown in Manchester.

Reports suggest Air Traffic Control was informed that one of the flight crew was unable to carry on with their responsibilities due to a health concern. Despite the incident, the aircraft proceeded without further issues and touched down safely at Manchester Airport at 8.14pm.

Emergency response teams, including medical personnel, were on standby at the airport awaiting the plane's arrival. A spokesperson for Jet2 said: "Flight LS980 from Lanzarote to Manchester requested a priority landing yesterday evening, due to one of the pilots feeling unwell.

“The aircraft landed safely and customers disembarked as normal." It follows a separate medical emergency earlier that day involving a passenger on a Delta Air Lines plane.

Flight DL234 travelling from New York’s John F. Kennedy International to Tel Aviv declared an emergency while flying over the UK in the early hours of Tuesday. The pilots requested an immediate diversion to Dublin after one of the 176 people on board experienced a "serious medical emergency", according to AirLive.

The outlet reports that the aircraft made a heavyweight landing - when a plane lands at a weight exceeding its maximum landing weight - as it was still carrying a large amount of fuel for its journey from America to the Middle East. The aircraft touched down safely at Dublin Airport, where paramedics awaited the passenger and took them to a nearby hospital.