A Loganair flight departing from Manchester Airport was forced to turn back mid-air on Thursday after being struck by lightning.
Flight LM26, which took off at 4:30 pm en route to Aberdeen, made an abrupt U-turn while flying over Skipton, North Yorkshire.
The Embraer ERJ145 aircraft, with a seating capacity of up to 50 passengers, returned to Manchester Airport and landed safely around 5:00 pm, just 30 minutes after departure.
A spokesperson for Loganair confirmed the incident to The Independent, stating:
“The aircraft landed as normal, and our team is arranging onward travel for customers to reach their final destination. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is of the utmost importance to us. We thank our customers for their patience and understanding, and our ground crews for their assistance.”
Earlier that day, Loganair issued an advisory via its X (formerly Twitter) account, warning of adverse weather conditions across the UK due to a yellow weather warning.
The airline cautioned that flights departing from Manchester and other UK airports could face disruptions from Thursday through Saturday. Passengers were offered the option to adjust their travel plans without charge.
While lightning strikes on aircraft are relatively rare, they are not unprecedented. Airbus, a leading aircraft manufacturer, reports that in-service planes are struck by lightning approximately once a year on average. However, modern aircraft are designed to withstand such events, ensuring passenger and crew safety.
This incident is the latest in a series of lightning-related aviation disruptions. In July, two British Airways Airbus A320 aircraft were struck by lightning on the same day while approaching London Heathrow, with one diverted to Gatwick Airport. Both landed safely.
In early August, a Delta Airlines flight from Boston to Rome was forced to return to the US after being struck by lightning over the Atlantic.
Despite the dramatic nature of such events, robust safety measures and aircraft design ensure minimal risk to passengers.
Loganair’s swift response highlights the industry’s focus on safety and customer care in challenging conditions.
