A Ryanair flight en route from Seville, Spain, to Nantes, France, was compelled to declare a fuel emergency and divert to Brest Bretagne Airport on Monday after a blocked runway prevented its landing at Nantes Atlantique Airport.
Ryanair flight FR5448 departed Seville at 5:25 p.m. local time. Upon reaching its final approach to Nantes Atlantique Airport, the flight crew had to abort the landing due to an obstruction on the runway.
The aircraft ascended back to 7,000 feet, circling briefly while Air Traffic Control managed the situation. However, the extended flight time and circling depleted the aircraft's fuel reserves, forcing the captain to declare an emergency.
The flight was subsequently diverted to Brest Bretagne Airport, where it landed safely. Nantes Atlantique Airport had an operational notice indicating the runway closure was expected until 9 p.m. local time on Monday as crews worked to clear the obstruction. Aircraft traffic at Nantes resumed at 11 p.m.
This incident is one of several recent flight diversions due to unforeseen circumstances. In June, an Aurigny flight from Guernsey to Manchester made a precautionary landing in Southampton after the aircraft's windscreen reportedly cracked mid-flight. In May, an easyJet flight from Hurghada, Egypt, to London Luton Airport was diverted to Rome after a passenger notified cabin crew about a portable charger in use in the plane's hold.