Glasgow Airport

easyJet said it is an ‘extraordinary circumstance’

An easyJet flight was forced to turn back and land shortly after departure today (Sunday, March 29) due to an “extraordinary circumstance”.

easyJet flight EZY439 was scheduled to depart from Glasgow at 11.50am and arrive in Jersey at 1.25pm. However, tracking data on Flightradar appears to show the aircraft turning back almost immediately following take-off. easyJet has confirmed the flight returned to the gate due to an “extraordinary circumstance”. Outlining the diversion on its website, the airline said it is “due to a crew welfare issue”.

easyJet added: “The disruption to your flight is outside of our control and is considered to be an extraordinary circumstance. We plan to refuel and continue your flight as soon as possible. Your crew will keep you up to date.”

easyJet encourages passengers to visit its website for entitlements, refund and compensation rights, and additional information. It added: “Once again we’re very sorry for the delay to your flight.”

An easyJet spokesperson said later on Sunday: “Flight EZY439 from Glasgow to Jersey on 29 March returned to Glasgow due to a cabin crew member requiring medical assistance.

“The flight landed normally in Glasgow and was met by medical services on the ground. We plan for passengers to continue their journey to Jersey later today and apologise for any inconvenience.

“The safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew is always easyJet’s highest priority.”

Travellers are being caught out by new rules at certain UK airports, as people are reminded to check their airport’s regulations before flying to prevent upset and delays

As the cold, bleak winter drags on, many Brits are counting down the days until they can jet off on their summer holidays. But a major new airport rule change is catching some travellers off guard – and starting their trips with unnecessary stress when they realise they’ve got it wrong.

As of January, passengers flying from certain UK airports can now carry up to two litres of liquids in their hand luggage, replacing the long-standing 100ml limit, thanks to new CT scanners. In a statement, Heathrow Airport said: “Passengers travelling through all terminals at Heathrow no longer need to remove liquids or electronics from their hand luggage, or juggle plastic bags at security.

“The UK’s hub has become the largest airport in the world to fully roll out next-generation CT (computed tomography) security scanners – a move that promises faster queues, less stress and a smoother start to journeys for millions of travellers.”

UK airports that have ditched the 100ml rule

• Belfast International
• Belfast City
• Birmingham
• Bristol
• Edinburgh
• London Gatwick
• London Heathrow

However, the change has not been rolled out across every airport – with many still sticking to the 100ml rule and requiring liquids to be removed and placed in clear plastic bags.

UK airports still enforcing the 100ml rule

• Aberdeen
• Bournemouth
• Cardiff
• East Midlands
• Glasgow International
• Glasgow Prestwick
• Inverness
• Isle of Man
• Leeds Bradford
• Liverpool
• Luton
• London City Airport
• Manchester
• Newcastle
• Newquay
• Norwich
• Southampton
• Southend
• Stansted
• Teesside

Exemptions still apply for essential medicines, baby food, and milk, as well as special dietary requirements.

Travellers are being urged to check their departure airport’s rules before flying – especially ahead of the busy Easter holidays – to avoid delays or having items confiscated at security.

Reacting to the change, one traveller flying from Gatwick Airport wrote on Reddit: “Makes the journey just that little bit less stressful. Leave everything in your bag – laptop too.”

Another added: “Edinburgh is the same, which is really handy.”

A third explained: “This is because a new generation of scanners is being rolled out that allows more liquids and means you don’t have to remove laptops – but only a few airports have them so far.”

However, not everyone is convinced.

One user said: “This change is useless until all major airports follow suit. It’s fine on the way out, but if your return airport still has the old rules, you end up throwing things away. It also causes confusion, especially when different London airports have different rules. It should be all or nothing.”

Another added: “I’ve been travelling with just carry-on for years now and wouldn’t go back. There’s something freeing about not carrying full-size toiletries when you only need a small amount.”