A Lufthansa flight was forced to make an emergency landing after the crew declared a problem shortly after take-off – it’s the second similar incident with the airline in a matter of days
A Lufthansa flight was forced to make an emergency landing after the crew reported a problem shortly after take-off. Flight LH2249, en route from Lyon to Munich, halted its ascent at 5,400 feet and started circling near Lyon Airport.
The crew issued a “Squawk 7700” – the radio code for a general emergency – due to a “gear issue”, as per AirLive. The aircraft later climbed to 10,000 feet and entered Swiss airspace before circling near Lausanne and eventually diverting to Geneva, according to flight-tracking data.
The jet, which had taken off from Lyon at 1.51pm CET today – almost one hour behind schedule – landed on runway 22 in Geneva Airport at 3.39pm. It was originally scheduled to land in Munich at 4.04pm.
Emergency vehicles were on standby at Geneva Airport as the plane prepared to land, reports AirLive. The aircraft was later towed off the runway just before 4pm and moved to a remote stand, according to AirLive.
The Mirror has reached out to Lufthansa for comment. This incident comes just days after a Lufthansa plane declared a mid-air emergency over London moments after take-off from Heathrow.
Flight LH2473, operated by an Airbus A320neo and bound for Munich, Germany, departed the runway at 11:36am. But tracking data shows the plane immediately halted its departure and initiated a sharp turn back toward the airport.
The flight crew then transmitted a Squawk 7700 code – internationally known as the signal for a general emergency. The aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 14,000 feet when the alert was sounded.
A Lufthansa statement said: “The flight had to return to LHR due to technical issues.”
According to Aviation news network AIRLIVE, the aircraft was met on the runway by ground crews and directed to a remote stand.
“The aircraft landed safely and all passengers are being assisted by ground staff,” the publication quote a spokesperson as saying.
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