Subscribe to Simon Calder’s complimentary travel newsletter for professional guidance and cost-saving deals.
Receive Simon Calder’s Travel newsletter
The easyJet flight from Edinburgh was instructed to cancel its landing at Geneva airport and ascend rapidly after it deviated from the standard approach for the airport.
The airline states that the safety of the passengers on board was never jeopardized.
According to reports from aviation sources, the plane was at an altitude of only 754 feet over Lake Geneva when the pilots decided to perform a “go-around” maneuver. This involved aborting the landing and ascending to a safe altitude before attempting a second approach.
On November 5, 2023, Flight 3291 departed from Edinburgh, Scotland for a 786-mile journey to Geneva. The aircraft, an Airbus A320, was operated by a crew of six and had 157 passengers on board. The flight was expected to last two hours and 15 minutes.
The easyJet aircraft was given permission to land on runway 22 at the airport, approaching from the northeast and heading southwest. This flight path passes over a lake surrounded by tall terrain.
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board released a short report detailing the aircraft and stating, “While approaching runway 22, the plane descended well below the designated glide slope, prompting the flight crew to initiate a go-around.”
Following the “go-around,” the aircraft made a normal landing. The investigation is ongoing.
According to sources from the aviation website Simple Flying and other outlets, the plane was approximately 1,500 feet lower than the typical altitude for that distance from the runway. This puts it well below the elevation of Geneva airport, which is 190 feet above the level of the nearby lake.
A representative from easyJet informed The Independent that they are fully cooperating with the investigation according to their procedures.
The safety of those on board was not jeopardized at any time. easyJet always prioritizes the safety and well-being of passengers and crew.
Both pilots were temporarily suspended but have since resumed flying. Following the incident, the plane returned to Edinburgh and later flew back to Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands on the same day.
The plane was recently manufactured and delivered in June 2023.
This fuel-efficient aircraft is utilized by easyJet for some of their longest flights, such as the 2,762-mile trip from Belfast to Hurghada in Egypt.
EasyJet is considered the second safest airline in the world, with the lowest number of passenger fatalities, following Ryanair.
Source: independent.co.uk
