Two Emirates Airbus A380s divert away from LHR due to bad weather

Bad weather in London, United Kingdom (UK) resulted in several diversions away from London Heathrow Airport (LHR), including two Emirates Airbus A380s, which were also forced to declare an emergency.

The two Emirates flights, EK1 and EK29, originating in Dubai International Airport (DXB), diverted from London’s main airport on March 13, 2023, when bad weather forced the airline and other carriers to choose alternative airports throughout the day. Both Emirates’ Airbus A380s were forced to squawk 7770, a transponder code signaling that there is a general emergency onboard the aircraft.

While EK1 diverted to London Gatwick Airport (LGW), EK29 was forced to fly to Birmingham Airport (BHX).

Flightradar24.com data shows that throughout the day several flights were diverted away from LHR. A Swiss International Air Lines Airbus A220 diverted to London Stansted Airport (STN), a Lufthansa Airbus A320neo also chose STN as its alternate airport, while an American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER opted to divert to Manchester Airport (MAN) while also squawking 7700. Other diversions include an Air India Boeing 787-8 diverting to LGW, while a British Airways Airbus A320neo flew to STN instead of LHR.

According to the flight tracking website, the average delay for arrivals is 51 minutes, while for departures, it is 52 minutes as of 2:55 PM local time (UTC +0). Several METeorological Aerodrome Reports (METAR) showcase wind speeds between 23 and 24 knots, while a METAR, published at 1:20 PM local time (UTC +0), indicated wind gusts up to 36 knots. Wind gusts peaked at 45 knots at LHR on March 13, 2023, at 11:20 AM local time (UTC +0).

Many other flights from several airports in Germany were also canceled. However, these cancelations were the result of strike action at several locations across the country, where local ver.di union members are protesting due to a failure to reach an agreement over improved pay with the airport security employer association.