A flight heading to a popular resort city on the Turkish Riviera had to make a quick return to Manchester Airport. The SunExpress flight XQ593 took off from Manchester at 1.33pm BST on Monday bound for Antalya but had to turn back shortly after departure due to a medical emergency on board.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft abruptly stopped climbing at 18,000 feet, with the crew signaling a general emergency by transmitting a Squawk 7700 code and informing air traffic control, according to reports. A passenger on board required immediate medical assistance.
After briefly circling in a holding pattern to prepare for a landing with excess weight, the plane was given clearance for an immediate landing. Medical personnel met the aircraft upon arrival and attended to the passenger in need.
The flight resumed at 4.36pm BST and successfully completed its journey to Antalya, landing safely at 10.35pm TRT (8.35pm BST) as per flight-tracking data.
