A TUI flight from Manchester issued an 'emergency' alert this morning shortly after taking off. The flight - TOM5GM - has since been circling over the north west for more than two hours as it looks to return to Manchester Airport.
The plane sent a 7700 'Squawk' code signalling an emergency at 13,000ft shortly after taking off at 10.30am. The flight was heading to Cape Verde and had already been delayed before take-off.
The BOEING 767-300 sent the 7700 Squawk code, which immediately alerts Air Traffic Control to an aircraft in distress. This can indicate a technical or engineering issue with the aircraft, which is currently unknown. READ MORE:Top surgeon says he was victim of 'racial triaging' at Manchester Airport security A Manchester Airport spokesman said they were aware of a 'flight that has decided to return to Manchester'.
TUI have been approached for a statement. A flight tracking website appears to show the plane descending for landing at Manchester Airport.
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